ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Hazardous Waste

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the future provision of sites for the disposal of hazardous waste.

Elliot Morley: The Government recognise that implementation of the Landfill Directive will have a significant impact on the disposal of hazardous waste. In particular the ending of co-disposal from 16 July 2004 will lead to a reduction in the number of landfill sites taking hazardous waste. Coupled with the requirements for treatment of hazardous waste prior to landfill, this will lead to better management of hazardous waste and more incentive on producers to minimise the amount of waste produced.

Hazardous Waste

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support she plans to give to Challenge Fund proposals with regard to waste disposal; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) has been established to help push England's waste management practices up the waste hierarchy, and specifically to divert increasing amounts of waste away from landfill. Properly known as the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund, the Challenge Fund is managed by WIP and does not provide funding for final disposal facilities. Rather, it provides local authorities with opportunities to pursue schemes that reduce the volume of the household waste stream, and to increase the amount of household waste recycled and composted. From 2005–06, the Challenge Fund will be replaced by a new Waste Management Performance Reward Grant, and Defra is currently consulting on its proposals for the design of this grant.
	It is recognised that final disposal will remain an important element in local authorities' waste management plans. This need is addressed through the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block funding, which covers waste management among other local authority services. In addition, WIP is managing £355 million of waste PFI credits over the three-year period to 2006, providing the necessary investment in large-scale waste management facilities. WIP's New Technologies work stream is also promoting investment in near-market technologies that will encourage more sustainable ways of disposing of waste.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much hazardous waste can be (a) delivered and (b) deposited in each month from 16 July at landfill sites that have applied to take only hazardous waste from 16 July.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency is undertaking a permitting exercise for sites proposing to take hazardous waste after 16 July 2004. Latest information available indicates that, if all the permits were issued, the monthly capacity from 16 July 2004 would be approximately 95,000 tonnes (derived from expected annual inputs). This figure is for those sites accepting hazardous waste on a "merchant" basis. The amounts delivered would equate to those deposited.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many businesses produced hazardous waste in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003; and what estimate she has made of the number of businesses producing hazardous waste in each year from 2004 to 2008.

Elliot Morley: Data on this for the years 2002 and 2003 are not yet available. The average number of active special waste producers over previous years (1999 to 2001) was 100,000.
	The number of active producers of hazardous waste is expected to rise to 750,000 when the revised European hazardous waste list is fully implemented.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) tonnage and (b) proportion of hazardous waste will require treatment from 16 July; and what the capacity of existing waste treatment infrastructure is.

Elliot Morley: The tonnage requiring treatment will depend on a number of factors, not least the amount arising. In 2002, some 5 million tonnes of special waste was consigned, and 47 per cent. was specifically consigned to treatment facilities (including recycling and reuse), 39 per cent. to landfill and 4 per cent. to incineration.
	From 16 July 2004, all hazardous waste sent for disposal at a landfill will require some form of pre-treatment, unless this is of no practical benefit towards meeting the aims of the Landfill Directive. For hazardous waste, the Government believe that treatments are available that will reduce the mass to be landfilled, as well as the hazards to human health and/or the environment. Any decision that treatments are not available can only be made following a thorough evaluation of the treatment options.
	Estimates on available capacity of existing hazardous waste treatment infrastructure were prepared for the Hazardous Waste Forum in September 2003 and posted on the forum's website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/hazforum/031021/enviros.pdf
	The forum continues to keep this information under review as it becomes aware of changes to waste industry plans.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy that there should be no stockpiles of hazardous waste from 16 July.

Elliot Morley: It is Government policy to ensure as smooth a transition as possible of the implementation of the requirements of the Landfill Directive, in particular the ending of the practice of co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in the same cell from 16 July, and to that end to avoid the need for storage of hazardous waste over and above that which normally occurs.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which hazardous waste streams she has identified as the most problematic to treat and manage after 16 July; and what steps she has taken to ensure the safe management of these waste streams.

Elliot Morley: The Government have taken the advice from hazardous waste stakeholders through the Hazardous Waste Forum to identify the following waste streams which warrant particular attention.
	Construction and demolition
	Contaminated soils
	Air pollution controls residues
	Waste oils
	Wastes from non-ferrous metals industry
	Filter cakes from waste treatment
	The task force on treatment and capacity is investigating in more detail these waste streams, and has set up two work streams paying particular attention to construction and demolition wastes (including contaminated soils) and waste oils. The task force is assessing the arisings and alternative capacity available, communicating the issues to the industries concerned, and looking at environmentally sound methods of managing the wastes.
	In addition, the Environment Agency are identifying the top five waste streams per region, based on potential risk to the environment (quantities and hazardousness) and public health. Cradle to grave audits on these waste streams will be carried out which will include taking targeted enforcement action when appropriate.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency has spent in the last year for which figures are available on the (a) detection and (b) prosecution of illegal disposal of hazardous waste; and how much it proposes to spend on these activities in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05.

Elliot Morley: The agency spends in the order of £12 million annually on detection and prosecution of illegal waste activities including fly-tipping. Figures relating only to hazardous waste are not available. The amount that the agency spends is driven in part by the level of criminal activity. Between 2001 and 2002 the number of incidents the agency responded to increased by 19 per cent. across England and Wales. However, this masked a 73 per cent. increase in the number of incidents responded to in Thames region alone.
	During 2003–04 additional funding has been made available for the development of "Flycapture", a national fly-tipping database, being set up by the Environment Agency. This will allow the collection and collation of summary data on fly-tipping incidents dealt with by the agency and local authorities.
	The agency anticipates that its spend in this area will be in the order of £12 million during 2004–05. Spending in future years is subject to a spending review.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to alert small and medium enterprises to their obligations as producers of hazardous waste.

Elliot Morley: Guidance will be issued at least three months before the implementation of the new regulations for hazardous waste to explain the obligations to be placed on producers. The guidance will be available in both paper and electronic formats to ensure that it is accessible to small and medium sized enterprises and we will be liaising with the Small Business Service and Federation of Small Businesses to ensure that the guidance is both appropriate and helpful to those in such enterprises.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding she has allocated for 2004–05 for a campaign to inform waste producers of their obligations under the Landfill Directive.

Elliot Morley: A strategy to inform waste producers of their obligations under the Landfill Directive is an integral part of the Hazardous Waste Forum's Action Plan, published in December 2003. This strategy will receive the necessary funding although no specific budget has been allocated to cover the Government's role in this work. Also, Defra officials will continue to present papers on Landfill Directive issues at industry seminars on waste disposal as part of their normal duties.

Hazardous Waste

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much hazardous waste was illegally dumped in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three years; and how many prosecutions resulted.

Elliot Morley: Responsibility for tackling illegal dumping and fly-tipping is shared between local authorities and the Environment Agency. Information on local authority incidents is not held centrally.
	With regard to illegal special waste dumping, the Agency responded to 29 (2001), 54 (2002) and 62 (2003) incidents in Lancashire and of these 3 (2001), 1 (2002) and 0 (2003) were in the Chorley District.
	Prosecutions, North West Region (Central Area): 2001–03
	In the Environment Agency's North West Central Area as a whole (which includes Lancashire and Chorley) prosecutions taken were as follows:
	Under Section 33 1(a) of the Environmental Prosecution Act 1990 (these may include Special Waste):
	2001—11
	Prosecutions under Regulation 5 (2) (a) of the Special Waste Regulations 1996
	2002—1
	Section 1, Control of Pollution (Amendment Act) 1989
	2003—1

Agency Budgets

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget of the (a) Environment Agency and (b) Countryside Agency were in each year from 1998–99 to 2005–06 (planned); and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: (a) The budget for the Environment Agency from 1998–99 to 2003–04 was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1998–99 593.0 
			 1999–2000 617.9 
			 2000–01 640.3 
			 2001–02 702.8 
			 2002–03 782.5 
			 2003–04 805.2 
		
	
	(b) The Countryside Agency was established on 1 April 1999. Its budget from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1999–2000 54.1 
			 2000–01 63.5 
			 2001–02 100.6 
			 2002–03 108.7 
			 2003–04 112.0 
		
	
	The budget of the Environment Agency and Countryside Agency for future years will be confirmed in due course.

Asbestos

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the buildings occupied by her Department's staff, including agencies, which require (a) remedial work on and (b) the removal of asbestos; what that work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys.

Alun Michael: No buildings occupied by Defra or its Executive Agencies staff require remedial work to residual asbestos. In 2003–04, £260,000 was spent on surveys and preparation of management plans as required by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
	In 2004–05, £200,000 has been allocated to complete the management plans. No further surveys are planned.

Asbestos

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of buildings occupied by (a) staff of the Department and (b) staff of the Department's executive agencies have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying the presence of asbestos prior to implementation of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.

Alun Michael: All of them.

Asgard Systems

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice was given by the Environment Agency to Mr. Ross Donovan in answer to his letter of 14 February 2001, asking for information on any legislation which a prototype waste to energy plant might need to comply with; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: On the basis of the information provided to the Environment Agency, the Agency advised Mr. Donovan that the activity did not require a permit under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations, but that the registration of the activity as an exempt activity under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations was required. The Agency reached this view based on the Pollution Prevention Control Regulations existing at that time.

Asgard Systems

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) phone conversations between (i) her Department and (ii) the Environment Agency and (A) Mr. Ross Donovan of Biggleswade and (B) Asgard Systems Ltd of Bedford relating to the development of a waste to energy plant by Mr. Donovan.

Elliot Morley: A list of recorded communications with Mr Donovan and Asgard Systems Ltd. relating to the development of a waste to energy plant is provided in the table.
	
		
			 Date Type of contact Detail 
		
		
			 24 February 2003 Correspondence Asgard made an application to the Environment Agency for registration as an exempt activity from Waste Management Licensing 
			 24 July 2003 Meeting Mr. Donovan met Environment Agency officials (followed by a letter from the Environment Agency to Mr. Donovan, clarifying that his plant would be subject to the Waste Incineration Directive, according to the Government's Waste Incineration Regulations issued in December 2002) 
			 11 September 2003 Correspondence Asgard e-mailed Defra official 
			 11 September 2003 Telephone conversation Defra official telephoned Asgard 
			 19 September 2003 Correspondence Mr. Donovan e-mailed Defra official 
			 14 November 2003 Meeting Defra and Environment Agency officials visited Mr. Donovan and colleagues at prototype plant near Milton Keynes 
			 14 November 2003 Correspondence Defra official e-mailed Mr. Donovan 
			 28 November 2003 Telephone conversation Defra official telephoned Mr. Donovan 
			 16 December 2003 Correspondence Defra official wrote to Mr. Donovan 
			 29 January 2004 Meeting Mr. Donovan, his colleagues and Alistair Burt MP met Elliot Morley (Minister for the Environment), and Defra and Environment Agency officials

Asgard Systems

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will instruct the Environment Agency to conduct an inquiry into the part played by the Agency in the liquidation of Asgard Systems Ltd of Bedford.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency has a well established "Complaints and Commendations Procedure" which is used to investigate any complaints against it. If Asgard Systems Ltd. makes a complaint to the Agency, it will undertake an appropriate inquiry according to this procedure.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Aviation)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to include aviation in the target of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The Government are committed to putting the UK on a path to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by 2050. International flights from the UK do not currently count in the national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions as there is no international agreement yet on ways of allocating such emissions between countries. However, the Government's Energy White Paper made it clear that the aviation industry is encouraged to take account of, and where appropriate reduce, its contribution to global warming.
	This was restated, and built on, in the recently published Air Transport White Paper which announced a package of measures to reduce the impact of aviation on climate change. This included the Government's intention to press for the inclusion of intra-EU air services in the forthcoming EU emissions trading scheme, and that this will be a priority for the UK Presidency in 2005, with a view to aviation joining the scheme from 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Batteries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental consequences of disposing of spent batteries to landfill.

Elliot Morley: The main environmental concerns associated with the landfilling of batteries relate to the potential generation and discharge of leachate into the environment of hazardous substances i.e. cadmium, lead and mercury, all known to be toxic to the aquatic environment and human health. Discharge of these substances to the environment are likely to occur through (a) the compaction of weight, leading to substances discharging from the battery and (b) percolation of rainfall further leaching these substances into groundwater. It is however worth noting that spent batteries constitute only 0.1 per cent. of the Municipal Solid Waste stream.
	The Belgian Government recently commissioned a study Targeted Risk Assessment Report, (TRAR) currently under scientific peer review, to identify the environmental impacts of disposing batteries in landfill.
	The TRAR study mainly focused on cadmium containing batteries and concluded that the impact of batteries on landfill leachate could not be judged, based upon current lack of knowledge and methodology. In addition, risks related to the uncertainties of hazardous substances from batteries going to leachate, would require the adoption of risk management measures.

Batteries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of batteries were recycled in each European Union country in the last year for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: Information on percentage of batteries recycled in European Union countries is not readily available for all battery chemistries. Member states have not been required to provide this in the past. However, officials are in the process of acquiring this data.
	Portable battery collection rates are available for 2002 and are as follows:
	
		
			 Country Collection ratein percentage of sales in 2002 Grams per inhabitant 
		
		
			 Austria 44 179 
			 Belgium 59 228 
			 France 16 69 
			 Germany 39 157 
			 Netherlands 32 116 
			 Sweden 55 193 
			 Spain 14 61 
			 UK 0.5 2

Batteries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many spent batteries, other than vehicle batteries, are generated each year in the United Kingdom; what quantity of each heavy metal is involved; and what percentage of these batteries are recycled.

Elliot Morley: No studies have been undertaken, so far, to assess the quantities of batteries that enter the waste stream annually in the UK. However, we do know that in 2002, 45.5 per cent. of the annual sales of the 15 European member states, went for final disposal (incineration or landfill) instead of being collected and recycled.
	The following quantities of heavy metals are found in each battery.
	
		Recyclable materials of portable batteries 
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			  Non rechargeable general purpose battery 
			 Zinc 20 
			 Manganese 20 
			 Ferrous Metal 20 
			 Copper 10 
			   
			 Non rechargeable button cell  
			 Zinc 26 
			 Silver 34 
			 Ferrous Metal 30 
		
	
	
		Recyclable materials of rechargeable batteries
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Nickel Cadmium  
			 Cadmium 15 
			 Nickel 25 
			 Steel 35 
			   
			 Nickel Metal Hydride  
			 Nickel 40 
			 Steel 18 
			   
			 Lithium Ion  
			 Acier 22 
			 Cobalt 17 
		
	
	The European Battery Recycling Association (EBRA) estimated that the UK sent 424 tonnes of nickel cadmium batteries, 45 tonnes of nickel metal hydride and 38 tonnes of zinc carbon, alkali and zinc air batteries for recycling in 2002.

Batteries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the preparedness of (a) her Department and (b) the UK to meet the targets in the draft EU Directive on batteries and accumulators and spent batteries and accumulators;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to increase the percentage of batteries other than vehicle batteries that are recovered from the waste stream.

Elliot Morley: The draft Batteries Directive requires member states to achieve collection targets for household batteries (44 per cent.) and household Nickel Cadmium batteries (80 per cent.), and that all automotive and industrial batteries are collected and sent for recycling. At present, the UK is collecting less than one per cent. of household batteries and in 2002, 87 per cent. of the total automotive batteries put on the market were collected and sent for recycling. HMG will be commissioning work, in the near future, to obtain data on the collection and recycling rates of industrial batteries.
	The Government welcome the draft Directive. Defra and DTI are already in talks with those stakeholders affected by the proposal and are looking at ways to secure early participation, to enable the UK to successfully meet the collection target within the given timeframe. In addition, both Departments are fully involved in discussions with the Commission and the European Parliament, to ensure that targets for the collection and recycling of household batteries are challenging, but achievable.

Biofuels

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the help given by her Department to each type of biofuels energy in order to encourage the development of this part of the energy sector.

Margaret Beckett: A range of support is available to farmers to grow energy crops. Funding has been provided for open days, conferences, a biofuels leaflet, R&D and reports to support the development of bio-energy. DEFRA works closely with other Government Departments on the development of policy.

Climate Change

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote international agreement on measures to respond to climate change.

Elliot Morley: The Government takes every opportunity to promote international action on climate change bilaterally, through the EU and in international fora. Our commitment to the international existing agreements and our Energy White Paper's long-term vision show climate change action and healthy economic growth are compatible.

Dairy Industry

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received about problems in the diary sector.

Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly receives letters from MPs and others on dairy issues. Ministers frequently meet with representatives from all parts of the dairy sector and matters affecting the whole dairy supply chain are regularly discussed at the Forum chaired by my noble Friend Lord Whitty.

Environment Council

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position she will be taking at this month's EU Environment Council in respect of (a) medium and long-term greenhouse gas reductions and (b) the EU Chemicals Directive.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 March 2004
	The UK successfully pressed for language in the Environment Council Conclusions that established a process under which the EU will develop strategies for further action to tackle climate change post-2012 including medium- and long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets. This will kick-start the process of establishing our position in advance of the international negotiations on future action, which are due to start next year.
	Regarding the new EU chemicals strategy (REACH), the Presidency invited the Council to consider its progress report on the work done so far by the ad hoc working group, and in particular the need for further work to be carried out to understand the full impact of the proposed Regulation. There was no substantive debate on the issue. We believe that it is essential that the Environment Council has the opportunity to be fully involved in decisions on REACH and we welcome the formation of the ad hoc working group as a way for both economic and environment ministry expertise to contribute to the discussions. The efforts made by the Presidency to take forward such a complex dossier are to be welcomed.

Environmental Sustainability

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost to local authorities of meeting the Government's recycling targets.

Elliot Morley: Waste Strategy 2000 sets out the Government's targets on recycling and composting. Appendix C to Annex C provides estimates of the cost of various municipal waste management options from 2000 to 2020. The present value of the additional costs to local authorities of reaching the recycling and composting targets, over and above a 'base case' which assumed current levels (in absolute terms) of recycling, composting and energy recovery, with all other waste going to landfill, were estimated at between £3.4 billion and £7.7 billion over the 20 year period.

GM Crops

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what separation distance would be required to keep the contamination of non-GM crops with GM varieties below a level of 0.1 per cent. for (a) maize, (b) oil-seed rape and (c) sugar beet.

Elliot Morley: The European Union has agreed a threshold of 0.9 per cent. for labelling adventitious GM presence in non-GM products. We recognise that there are arguments for a lower threshold to apply particularly in relation to organic production, although no conclusion has been reached on this.
	The separation distances needed between fields to limit cross-pollination to 0.1 per cent. (on a whole-field basis) were considered in a review produced for Defra in 2000 by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). This suggested the following distances on the basis of fields of an average size of two hectares or more:
	oilseed rape (fully-fertile varieties): 100 metres
	sweetcorn maize: 420 metres
	forage maize: 290 metres
	No distance was estimated in relation to sugar beet because cross-pollination does not affect the composition of the utilised plant tissues (only vegetative parts of the plant are harvested, rather than seeds or fruits). Moreover, beet crops are normally harvested before they flower and farmers usually control any 'bolting' plants that flower prematurely.
	The information in the NIAB report needs to be considered further in the light of data from a Defra-funded research report on gene flow from the GM maize crops in the Farm Scale Evaluation (FSE) trials (available at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/epg-1–5-138.htm). This study concluded that in the case of a GM and non-GM maize crop growing alongside each other, the rate of individual GM cross-pollination events (per maize kernel) would be below 0.1 per cent. at a distance of 258 metres into the non-GM crop. A parallel report on gene flow from the FSE oilseed rape crops is in preparation and will be published in due course.
	Another relevant Defra-funded research project has studied landscape-scale gene flow in oilseed rape crops (report available at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/epg-rg0216.htm). This does not estimate the separation distances needed for specific cross-pollination thresholds, but it notes that relatively small distances will limit cross-pollination between fully-fertile oilseed rape varieties to around 0.1 per cent. or below, and that pollination from one field to the next is likely to be less than 0.1 per cent. averaged over the field. At present it is difficult to estimate the separation distances that would be needed for a 0.1 per cent. threshold in relation to oilseed rape varieties that are not fully fertile. Further information that is relevant to this will be provided by the report noted above on gene flow from the FSE oilseed rape crops.

GM Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she commissioned into (a) product liability insurance and (b) co-existence, with regard to the possible introduction of GM crops.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 5 March 2004
	The issues of co-existence and liability have been explored in a report to the Government by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission. We will set out our thinking on this shortly. The Government have not commissioned any specific research on insurance but has funded various projects on co-existence-related topics. These studies are published on our website www.defra.gov.uk when finalised.

Household Waste

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what household recycling levels have been attained in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Elliot Morley: The information requested is contained in Defra's Municipal Waste Management Survey 2001–02, copies of which are in the Library. Table 5B gives the information requested for London for the financial years 1996–97—2001–02. Annex B gives information for individual London local authorities for the financial years 1998–99—2001–02. Information for the years before 1998–99 was not published at the local authority level. The Management Survey can be downloaded from: http://defraweb/environment/statistics/wastats/mwb0102/index.htm. Further data on London's waste can be found at www.capitalwastefacts.com
	The household waste recycling and composting rates for 2002–03 can be obtained from the following website: www.bvpi.gov.uk

Household Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress made on pilot schemes for direct and variable charging for collection and disposal of household waste.

Elliot Morley: In its response to the Strategy Unit Report Waste Not Want Not, the Government undertook to carry out further work before a decision is taken on whether to enable local authorities to introduce pilot direct and variable charging schemes for collection and disposal of household waste. In co-operation with the Local Government Association and other stakeholders, and drawing on international experience, work is being undertaken to consider the practicalities of operating such schemes and how potential disadvantages could be overcome.
	The Government will consider the results of this work during 2004.

Oak Disease

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on recent steps taken by her Department to combat oak disease.

Ben Bradshaw: We have recently stepped up inspections of imported plants, doubled checks on nurseries, increased surveys of woodland and heathland around outbreaks. We are also taking special measures to deal with the most worrying outbreaks in two historic gardens in Cornwall.

Plastic Bags

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incentives are in place in the UK to discourage the (a) production and (b) handing out of plastic bags.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 4 March 2004
	None at present. Under the Packaging Regulations, businesses have tonnage obligations and they can reduce these, and their costs, by reducing the amount of packaging they handle.
	While there are no formal measures in place targeted specifically at plastic bags, the Government fully support the retailers in the introduction of 'bag for life', reusable bags and plastic bag recycling schemes.

Radon Gas

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to include radon testing in CON29 within the proposed Housing Investment Programme.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no such plans. Under our proposals for home information packs, the pack is likely to include information on whether the property is located within a radon affected area. Issues of practicality and cost suggest that it would not be appropriate to require radon testing as part of a statutory home information pack scheme. However, this will be considered further by specialist working groups that are being set up to consider the contents of the pack before any final decisions are taken.

Refrigerators

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many refrigerators were disposed of in each year since 1997 in the United Kingdom; what quantity of ozone depleting substances were on average contained in the coolant and foam from refrigerators being destroyed; and whether these ozone depleting substances are controlled substances within the remit of Article 16 (1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No. 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Elliot Morley: As EC Regulation 2037/2000 only applied to domestic refrigeration units containing ODS from the 1 January 2002, the Environment Agency does not have accurate figures for fridges disposed of prior to that date.
	
		
			 Number of fridges 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Disposed (units) in England and Wales 299,000 979,336 
			 Exported for treatment to Germany and the Netherlands and Denmark (units) 418,000 377,168 
		
	
	The average quantities of ozone depleting substances contained in the coolant and foam from fridges being destroyed are not collected through the current reporting mechanism. However, the average quantity of controlled substances recovered from the refrigerant and blowing agent that was subsequently destroyed in England and Wales for 2003 was 236.63g per fridge.
	CFC contained in fridges are controlled substances under EC Regulation 2037/2000.

CABINET OFFICE

Supplier Companies Staffing

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance is issued to Government purchasing staff on requesting from potential supplier companies information about the number of people they employ.

Paul Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
	Procurement Guidance does not recommend that Departments request information from potential suppliers on the number of people they employ. However there is provision under the EC Services Directive (92/50/EEC) for Departments should they wish to do so, to request a
	"statement of the service provider's average annual manpower and the number of managerial staff for the last three years."

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Fertility Treatment

David Amess: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of IVF treatment in the UK; and what the criteria are for IVF treatment on the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	In vitro fertilisation (IVF) has revolutionised the treatment of infertility, allowing couples to have children they would otherwise have been denied. The success rate of IVF has continually increased over the years, as techniques have been refined. Currently the live birth rate per treatment cycle started in the United Kingdom is 22 per cent, (all women) and 25 per cent. (woman under 38).
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is expected to publish its guideline on the provision of National Health Service infertility services, including IVF, shortly. The Department of Health will consider issues of implementation in light of the recommendations in the NICE guideline.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Charities Bill

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what representations the Church Commissioners have made to the Government about the draft Charities Bill.

Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners and the Archbishops' Council both responded to the Strategy Unit's report on charity law reform and remain in discussion with the Home Office about the likely implications of the proposed legislation for the various parts of the Church of England.

Lambeth Palace Library

Chris Bryant: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the future of Lambeth Palace Library.

Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners have, in consultation with the other National Institutions of the Church of England, instigated a review of the arrangements for housing and conserving the documentary heritage held by those institutions, and this will consider Lambeth Palace and other libraries. Extensive consultation has taken place and responses are being collated.

Parish Priest Salaries

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what the total salary cost of parish priests was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04.

Stuart Bell: In 1996 the total stipend cost for parochial clergy (not including Employer's National Insurance contributions) was approximately £130.5 million. In 2003 the figure was approximately £151.8 million.

Graveyards

Gordon Prentice: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how much was spent maintaining church graveyards in each of the last three years.

Stuart Bell: Such information is not held centrally. Responsibility for maintenance of churchyards lies with the Parochial Church Council. Grants may be available from local authorities, since they have a special power to contribute to maintenance. Where a churchyard has been closed by Order in Council, the PCC may transfer the maintenance burden to the local authority.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government are giving to Afghanistan in relation to road reconstruction.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Rebuilding Afghanistan's road networks is key to promoting regional trade and revitalising the Afghan economy. The UK contributes to road construction through our funding of the European Commission and the Asia Development bank, both of which are actively involved in major road building in Afghanistan. The Asia Development bank is engaged in several priority road projects, including the rehabilitation of the critically important Kabul-Kandahar-Spin Boldak road. The European Commission has undertaken the reconstruction of the Kabul-Jalalabad-Torkham road, another very important transport route. The travel times on this road have now been cut from six to three hours.

Departmental Refurbishment

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which companies have contracts for furniture provision for his Department; and what measures have been implemented to ensure that when a product contains wood, it can be shown to come from legal and sustainable sources.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not have contracts for the supply of furniture, but makes use of Office of Government Commerce (OGC) arrangements for pre-tendered goods and services. However, all suppliers used are provided with model specification clauses which set out Government procurement policies and so ensure that all timber used is from legal and sustainable sources. The two main suppliers used are both certified as operating systems that meet the standards set by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).

Departmental Refurbishment

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what construction and refurbishment his Department is undertaking; at what locations; and what measures are being implemented to ensure that all timber used (a) on the construction sites and (b) in the final projects will come from legal and sustainable sources.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We are currently undertaking the refurbishment of our office at Abercrombie House, East Kilbride.
	Throughout the project the contractor and the project managers have been informed of Government policy regarding procurement of timber used, and DFID has issued a model specification clause in accordance with the guidelines as issued by Defra. Documentation to support the sourcing of timber from the lead contractor, and also all relevant sub-contractors, is being obtained and independently verified.

Uzbekistan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is funding in Uzbekistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is currently assisting the Government of Uzbekistan and the World Bank in the design of a new health care reform project; providing organisational capacity-building support to civil society organisations; and providing financial support to small local projects through a small grants scheme. Uzbekistan will also be included in a Central Asia region HIV/AIDS project starting in September this year.
	Additionally, the UK provides assistance to Uzbekistan through the EU programme of Technical Assistance to the Countries of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia (TACIS). In calendar year 2002 (the most recent year figures are available) the UK's attributed contribution was £0.96 million.

SCOTLAND

Parliamentary Questions

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002–03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

Anne McGuire: While records on average processing times for parliamentary questions are not collected, the Department answered approximately 70 per cent. of its Session 2002–03 ordinary written questions on time (five sitting days). Ministers attach great importance to Parliamentary Questions and endeavour to reply within the parliamentary deadlines wherever possible.

Westminster Hall

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to reply in person to debates in Westminster Hall.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1234W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

New Opportunities Fund (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Crosby in each year since 1997.

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Crosby are shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999 0 
			 2000 900,513 
			 2001 155,946 
			 2002 69,425 
			 2003 610,475 
			 To February 2004 0

Television Licences

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of BBC licence revenue is derived from notional payments from persons aged over 75 years.

Estelle Morris: In the financial year 2002–03, 14 per cent. of the BBC's television licence fee revenue was derived from payments from the Department for Work and Pensions in respect of free licences issued to people aged 75 or over.

Television Licences

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many TV licences were (a) issued and (b) paid for in each of the last six years; and what the unit cost of the collection process was in each of those years.

Estelle Morris: All television licences have to be paid for, whether by the individual or, in the case of free licences issued to people aged 75 or over, by the Department for Work and Pensions. The total number of licences issued in each of the last six years, the number of free licences issued in each year since their introduction in November 2000 and the gross cost of issue per licence were:
	
		
			  Total licences issued (million) Free licences issued (million) Gross cost per licence (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 22.4 — 4.88 
			 1998–99 23.0 — 5.79 
			 1999–2000 23.2 — 4.91 
			 2000–01 23.5 3.0 5.61 
			 2001–02 23.9 3.2 (1)3.99 
			 2002–03 24.4 3.3 6.00 
		
	
	(1) Licence fee collection costs were significantly reduced in 2001–02 by a rebate from Consignia for non-performance of contractual obligations.

Television Licences

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the cost is of the National Television Licensing Authority's Get One or Get Done advertising campaign; who pays for it; which advertising agency is responsible for the campaign; and if she will ask the authority to sever its connection with this agency forthwith;
	(2)  who in the National Television Licensing Authority is responsible for its Get One or Get Done campaign; and if she will make representations to the authority for the dismissal of the person or persons responsible;
	(3)  what connection the BBC has with the National Television Licensing Authority's Get One or Get Done campaign.

Tessa Jowell: As Licensing Authority, the BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system. TV Licensing's marketing and communications are carried out by the AMV Consortium under contract to the BBC.
	The BBC has indicated that it does not publicise the costs of individual advertising campaigns, for reasons of commercial sensitivity. However, the corporation has confirmed that all such campaigns undergo a series of legal compliance checks before they are approved by the corporation.
	The Government have no power to intervene in the everyday management of the television licensing system nor would it be appropriate for it to seek to influence the BBC's choice of contractors, staff or advertising campaigns.

Television Programme Guidelines

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what procedures are applicable to a company bound by the Independent Television guidelines on the amount of (a) political and (b) current affairs coverage that fails to meet its requirements;
	(2)  how many complaints she has received concerning failures of companies bound by the Independent Television guidelines to meet the appropriate level of (a) political and (b) current affairs coverage.

Estelle Morris: These are matters for Ofcom.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Clerk's Department

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many full-time appointments there have been to the Clerk's Department in the last five years; and how many were (a) female and (b) of an ethnic minority.

Archy Kirkwood: There have been 155 full-time appointments to the Clerk's Department in the five year period up to 10 March 2004, of whom 86 were female (55.5 per cent.). 13 of the 155 have since left the Clerk's Department (six of whom were female). Of the 142 appointees still employed, 80 are female (56.3 per cent.).
	House of Commons staff are currently in the process of completing and returning revised ethnicity survey questionnaires. Of the 142 current staff who started within the last five years, approximately half have so far returned their questionnaires. Of these, 5.3 per cent. are from an ethnic minority background. If this proportion holds good for all the staff in this group, approximately eight of them will be from an ethnic minority background.

TRANSPORT

British Transport Police Numbers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Transport police officers were based in each British Transport police force area in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04.

Tony McNulty: The British Transport police have provided the following information.
	
		
			Police officers 
			 Area 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Force Headquarters 110 139 131 
			 London North 310 311 295 
			 London South 300 324 314 
			 London Underground 405 476 537 
			 North Eastern 192 193 201 
			 North Western 270 263 258 
			 Midland(2) 179 166 — 
			 South Western(2) 141 127 — 
			 Western(2) — 2 279 
			 Scotland 202 205 207 
			 On secondment — — 29 
			 Total 2,109 2,206 2,251 
		
	
	(2) Midland and South Western Areas were merged to form Western Area in 2003–04.

Council Tax (DVLA)

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency supplies local authorities with the vehicle registration numbers of people who are in arrears with their council tax payments.

David Jamieson: The DVLA vehicle register is maintained primarily for vehicle taxation and law enforcement purposes and DVLA is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 to carry out those duties.
	The vehicle register is not an open record but information may be released in a number of circumstances. Section 29 (3) of the Data Protection Act exempts from its non-disclosure provisions information required for the assessment or collection of any tax or duty or of any imposition of a similar nature. Under this exemption, local authorities apply to DVLA for keeper details to trace council tax debtors through the registration numbers of their vehicles.

Motorcycle Training

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend the regulations which enable (a) a motorcycle rider to complete compulsory basic training on an automatic machine and progress to ride a geared bike with no further training, (b) a novice rider to obtain a motorcycle restricted licence allowing him to ride a more powerful motorbike on the roads without providing proof that he has undertaken training or riding in the previous two years and (c) newly qualified motorcycle instructors to train others as instructors; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: We have no plans to make such amendments to the regulations at this time. We shall, however, keep under review the training arrangements for novice riders, and the persons authorised to instruct them, in the light of recommendations made to Government by the Advisory Group on Motorcycling, forthcoming changes to the practical motorcycling test and European proposals to amend motorcycle categories.

Motorcycle Training

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on post-test training qualifications for motorcyclists.

David Jamieson: The Driving Standards Agency is working in partnership with trainer and industry interests to create a voluntary rider development scheme to improve safety for motorcyclists who hold a full licence. Consultation with all interested parties is planned for later this year.

Permanent Equipment (Highways)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require (a) the privatised former public utilities and (b) other companies providing similar services to pay a site rent to local authorities for permanent equipment located on the public highway.

David Jamieson: We have no plans to require such bodies to pay a rent for locating permanent apparatus on the public highway.

Resurfacing

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason no regulations have been introduced under section 78 of the New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991 to require statutory undertakings to contribute to resurfacing costs.

David Jamieson: Over recent years research has been undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory, on behalf of my Department, examining the effect of utility trenching on the long-term performance of roads. Any decision on whether to make regulations under section 78 of the 1991 Act will be taken in the light of this and other evidence collected into the effect on the quality of roads of works carried out by statutory undertakers.
	The Traffic Management Bill contains more explicit provision supplementing the general powers in section 78, so that, should a decision be taken that it would be appropriate for utilities and others to contribute towards the cost of putting right any damage caused to roads by works, then these costs can be fairly shared between the relevant parties.

Road Deaths and Injuries (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on roads in Crosby has been since 1997.

David Jamieson: The available information relates to the numbers of killed and seriously injured road casualties in the local authority district of Sefton, which includes the constituency of Crosby, and is given in the following table.
	
		
			  1997 2002 Percentage change 
		
		
			 Killed 10 10  
			 Seriously injured 100 88 -12.0

Roads (Funding)

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money has been spent on road building projects in each of the last five years; and if he will use funds allocated to future schemes to encourage rail travel instead.

David Jamieson: The expenditure on road building projects in England in the last five years is set out in the following table:
	
		 million
		
			  Outturn Forecast outturn 
			  19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Highways agency(3) 318 300 427 491 413 
			 Local authorities outside London(4)   94 118 104 
			 London (TfL)(5)   23 17 10 
			 Total 318 300 544 626 527 
		
	
	(3) Highways Agency expenditure is that on major road schemes costing over 5 million. It also includes spend on trunk roads in London until July 2000.
	(4) Local Authority spend is the value of Credit Approvals issued to support major local road schemes over 5 million. The Department does not hold figures for road building projects prior to the year 2001 when its database was set up.
	(5) London spend is Transport for London's expenditure on major road schemes over 5 million. TfL has been responsible for road improvements in London since July 2000
	Notes:
	1. Road building projects outside of England are the responsibility of the devolved administrations.
	2. All figures are rounded to the nearest million.
	The 10 Year Plan for Transport provided for a balance of investment between roads, public transport and railways. Future spending is being reviewed as part of Spending Review 2004. In respect of switching funds from road to rail, we would consider this following the outcome of SR2004 and the rail review.

Roads (Funding)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money has been spent by the Highways Agency on non-motorway roads in (a) Somerset, (b) Dorset, (c) Devon, (d) Cornwall, (e) North Somerset, (f) Wiltshire, (g) Bristol, (h) Bath and North East Somerset, (i) South Gloucestershire and (j) Gloucestershire in each year since 1990.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency started to collect information on expenditure on a county-by-county basis in 2001. Expenditure totals for the years 200102, 200203 and 200304 are therefore shown in the following table. Equivalent figures for earlier years are not available.
	
		Total spent on non motorways -- 
		
			 County 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,162,018.27 1,631,470.05 817,756.63 
			 Bristol 12,362.45 10,157.40 11,302.04 
			 Cornwall 9,654,395.57 12,044,323.34 10,079,002.14 
			 Devon 38,596,255.32 37,682,602.50 35,572,643.94 
			 Dorset 4,272,792.34 3,688,271.91 4,285,587.89 
			 Gloucestershire 9,383,633.66 21,770,465.06 21,619,119.63 
			 North Somerset 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Somerset 3,914,427.23 2,405,165.16 3,188,763.41 
			 South Gloucestershire 326,983.05 461,811.81 347,131.44 
			 Wiltshire 10,454,631.81 10,294,957.81 12,887,648.06 
		
	
	The Highways Agency has no roads in North Somerset that are not motorways.

Transport Spending (Sittingbourne and Sheppey)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public money was spent on transport in the constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey between (a) 1992 and 1997, (b) 1997 and 2001 and (c) 2001 to 2004.

Tony McNulty: Information on transport spending is not collected in the format requested.

Weight Limits (Lorries)

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase the penalties for lorry drivers breaching weight limits set on smaller bridges for second and subsequent offences;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase the penalty for lorry drivers breaching weight limits set on smaller bridges.

David Jamieson: We have no plans to increase the penalties for lorry drivers breaching weight limits on smaller bridges for first or subsequent offences. Weight limits on bridges are notified by traffic signs, and failure to comply with such signs is an offence under section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine not exceeding 1,000 plus a three point endorsement.

TREASURY

Unemployment (Jarrow)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the change in the level of unemployment has been in the Jarrow constituency in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the level of youth unemployment was in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Stephen Hepburn, dated 11 March 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about unemployment in the Jarrow constituency. I am replying in his absence. (159508, 159524)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, the LFS sample size is too small to give reliable estimates of unemployment in the Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency.
	The ONS also publishes data on the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA). Table 1 gives information on the change in the number of JSA claimants in the Jarrow Constituency for each year since 1997. Table 2 gives information, also for each year since 1997, on the number of the JSA claimants aged between 18 and 24 years in the Jarrow Constituency, the South Tyneside Unitary Authority, the Metropolitan County of Tyne and Wear and in the UK as a whole.
	
		Table 1: Total number of claimants(6) of Jobseekers Allowance in Jarrow parliamentary constituency: 19972003 -- Claimants
		
			  Number of claimants Difference from previous year 
		
		
			 1997 3,119  
			 1998 2,766 -353 
			 1999 2,820 54 
			 2000 2,625 -195 
			 2001 2,377 -248 
			 2002 2,273 -104 
			 2003 1,986 -287 
		
	
	(6) Annual average.
	Source:
	Jobcentre plus administrative system.
	
		Table 2: Number of claimants(7) of Jobseekers Allowance aged 1824 in the areas shown: 19972003 -- Claimants
		
			  Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency South Tyneside Unitary Authority Metropolitan County of Tyne and Wear United Kingdom 
		
		
			 1997 802 1,800 11,563 406,417 
			 1998 665 1,500 9,780 339,001 
			 1999 654 1,458 8,903 294,124 
			 2000 583 1,300 8,223 261,472 
			 2001 557 1,234 7,637 241,222 
			 2002 523 1,169 7,466 242,930 
			 2003 512 1,158 7,267 249,054 
		
	
	(7) Annual average.
	Source:
	Jobcentre plus administrative system.

Child Trust Fund

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total cost of the Child Trust Fund for each year from 200405 to 200910, broken down by (a) start-up costs, (b) annual administration costs and (c) other costs; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the Regulatory Impact Assessment published with the Child Trust Fund Bill in November 2003, the Explanatory Note that accompanied the publication of the Child Trust Fund Bill on 4 February 2004; and the answers I gave the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 4 December 2003, Official Report, columns 13839W.

Departmental Advertising

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on how many occasions his Department has placed advertisements in Hello magazine;
	(2)  what the total cost of his Department's advertising in Hello magazine was in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what the cost is of each of his Department's advertisements in Hello magazine for tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: A small amount of advertising has been placed in Hello! magazine by the Inland Revenue (IR) in recent years in support of its Tax Credits campaigns. This is because analysis of its readership indicated an appropriate percentage of people entitled to claim Tax Credits.
	There was no advertising prior to 2002, but in the last three years IR placed:
	2002: 4 insertions
	2003: 2insertions
	2004: 3 insertions
	There have been no advertisements placed in support of other issues or by any other departments responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	Like most central Government Departments, the IR buys media space using specialist agencies contracted through the Central Office of Information (COI).
	Through its bulk-buying power, COI negotiates significant discounts on rate-card prices. To protect this, and the thus the added value it achieves for taxpayers' money, it maintains commercial confidentiality agreements in which it undertakes not to publicise charges levied by individual publications in single instances.
	Media planning and buying for large campaigns such as New Tax Credits is focused purely on the most effective way of reaching the target audiencethe publications they read or TV channels they watch, for example.
	Overall spends for major campaigns are published regularly, often in response to parliamentary questions or press queries.

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products.

Paul Boateng: Treasury's procurement has been handled by Inland Revenue since April 2002. Inland Revenue are continuing to develop their environmentally sustainable procurement strategies. It is too early at present to judge whether there is evidence of innovation in the design and supply of products.

Income Tax (10p Rate)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior citizens in Crosby qualified for the 10p rate of income tax in each year since its introduction.

Ruth Kelly: All income taxpayers benefit from the 10p pence starting rate. The Survey of Personal Incomes estimates there are about 8,000 state retirement pension age taxpayers in the Crosby constituency in 200001. Constituency level estimates are not available for earlier years.

Insurance Premium Tax

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will leave the basic rate of insurance premium tax unchanged in this year's Budget.

Ruth Kelly: As with all taxes, the future rates of Insurance Premium Tax are a matter for the Chancellor to consider as part of the Budget Process.

Museums

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds of Gift Aid provisions used by the museum sector was in each year since it was introduced, broken down by (a) institution and (b) amount received.

John Healey: It is not possible to ascertain the amount repaid in Gift Aid in relation to the museum sector. Inland Revenue records do not distinguish amounts repaid to charities according to the type of charity. Information held by the Inland Revenue about the tax affairs of individual businesses could not be disclosed, Exemption 15 of the Open Government Code applies.

Public Expenditure

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relationship of the Maastricht criteria to public expenditure levels, with reference to (a) the Treasury Red Books since 1997 and (b) the Treasury Paper of June 2003 on Policy Frameworks in the UK and EMU.

Ruth Kelly: The scope of the Maastricht criteria is set out in Annexe A of the EMU study on Policy Frameworks in the UK and EMU.
	Projections for the public finances presented in the 2003 pre-Budget report, show that the UK continues to meet a prudent interpretation of the Stability and Growth Pact, that takes into account the economic cycle, the long-term sustainability of the public finances and the important role of public investment.
	Projections of the public finances will be updated, as usual, in the forthcoming Budget.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the administration of the Child Tax Credit and the Working Tax Credit since 6 April 2003;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with officials from the Inland Revenue regarding the administration of the Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit since 6 April 2003.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with officials from the Inland Revenue regarding the administration of tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: I have had regular discussions with Inland Revenue officials regarding the administration of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit since 6 April 2003, including plans for the next stage of tax credits implementation.The process of finalising tax credit awards for 200304, and renewing claims for 200405, begins in April. We also plan in 200405 to bring within Child Tax Credit (CTC) those families with children receiving support for them though Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (IS/JSA). The process of moving these families into Child Tax Credit will begin in April as planned. Families on IS/JSA already receiving CTC will start to receive support for their children solely through CTC. And new claimants of IS/JSA will no longer be awarded child allowances in those benefits and will receive CTC instead. The automatic phased transfer onto CTC of the remaining families with children within IS/JSA is planned to begin from October, subject to a final review in the summer. Meanwhile, families will continue to receive the same level of support through their benefits as they would from CTC.

Tax Credits

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Crosby have received Child Tax Credit.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated numbers of families receiving Child and/or Working Tax Credits in each constituency at 5 January 2004 are shown in Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics, Geographical analysesJanuary 2004, which is on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.
	The estimates are based on a sample of cases and are subject to sampling uncertainty.

DEFENCE

Falkland Islands

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on local purchase of vegetables and meat by the garrison at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands.

Adam Ingram: Locally grown salad vegetables are purchased for use at Mount Pleasant Airfield, but the produce available is limited. Local meat has not been procured because, prior to this year, it did not meet the Armed Forces Quality Standard and the Falkland Island abattoir was not EC approved. However, the Falkland Island Development Corporation has recently opened a fully compliant, purpose-built abattoir, and they are working to improve the quality of local lamb and mutton, with a view to supplying to Angliss (UK), the MOD's meat supplier, in the near future. An exploratory visit in January 2004 by Angliss (UK) proved to be most encouraging.

Armed Forces Dentists

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) dental personnel and (b) dentists are employed within Her Majesty's Armed Forces, broken down by (a) grade, (b) whole-time equivalents and (c) headcount numbers for each year since 1990.

Ivor Caplin: Figures for all dental service personnel are shown in the table. The figures for officers represent qualified dentists for each service. The tables show figures for each equivalent NATO rank and these are set out. Since there are no part-time dental personnel, the total figure represents both the headcount and the whole-time equivalents.
	
		NATO Rank Codes and UK Service Designations
		
			  Royal Navy Royal Marines Army Royal Air Force 
		
		
			 OF-10 Admiral of the Fleet  Field Marshal Marshal of the RAF 
			 OF-9 Admiral General General Air Chief Marshal 
			 OF-8 Vice Admiral Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Air Marshal 
			 OF-7 Rear Admiral Major General Major General Air Vice Marshal 
			 OF-6 Commodore Brigadier Brigadier Air Commodore 
			 OF-5 Captain Colonel Colonel Group Captain 
			 OF-4 Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Wing Commander 
			 OF-3 Lieutenant Commander Major Major Squadron Leader 
			 OF-2 Lieutenant Captain Captain Flight Lieutenant 
			 OF-1 Sub-Lieutenant Lieutenant/2nd Lieutenant Lieutenant/2nd Lieutenant Flying Officer/Pilot Officer 
			 OF(D) Midshipman  Officer Designate Officer Designate 
			  
			 OR-9 Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer 
			 OR-8  Warrant Officer Class 2 Warrant Officer Class 2  
			 OR-7 Chief Petty Officer Colour Sergeant Staff Sergeant Flight Sergeant/Chief Tech'n 
			 OR-6 Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant 
			 OR-4 Leading Rate Corporal Corporal Corporal 
			 OR-3   Lance Corporal  
			 OR-2 Able Rate Marine Private (Classes 1 to 3) Junior Technician/Leading Aircraftman/Senior Aircraftman 
			 OR-1   Private (Class 4)/Junior Aircraftman 
		
	
	Note:
	The Royal Navy and the Royal Marines together make up the Naval Service.
	Naval Service
	
		Naval Service(8) , (9)
		
			  OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 Total 
		
		
			 (a) Officers 
			 April 1990   7 30 19 15 72 
			 April 1991  1 7 27 22 18 75 
			 April 1992  1 6 27 18 20 72 
			 April 1993  1 5 27 20 23 76 
			 April 1994  1 5 22 18 29 75 
			 April 1995  1 5 21 19 24 70 
			 April 1996  1 6 16 19 20 62 
			 April 1997  1 6 12 26 20 65 
			 April 1998  1 5 14 20 24 64 
			 April 1999  1 5 15 23 19 63 
			 April 2000  1 6 15 17 21 60 
			 April 2001  1 6 16 16 23 62 
			 April 2002  1 5 17 17 21 61 
			 April 2003  1 6 14 19 17 57 
			 January 2004  1 7 13 23 13 57 
			 
			 (b) Ratings 
			 April 1990  3 19 40 47 13 122 
			 April 1991 1 3 20 41 49 10 124 
			 April 1992 1 3 19 38 52 6 119 
			 April 1993 1 5 18 41 45 4 114 
			 April 1094  5 17 40 42 4 108 
			 April 1995  4 17 43 36 10 110 
			 April 1996  3 16 41 43 2 105 
			 April 1997 1 4 16 35 35 4 95 
			 April 1998 1 4 16 34 36 9 100 
			 April 1999 1 4 17 34 38 5 99 
			 April 2000 1 5 15 28 45  94 
			 April 2001 1 5 14 26 42  88 
			 April 2002 1 5 14 40 33  93 
			 April 2003 2 6 13 35 42  98 
			 January 2004 2 5 14 32 48  101 
		
	
	(8) All Naval Service Officers in the tables are qualified dentists
	(9) The ratings figures comprise of hygienists and dental surgical assistants
	Note:
	Officers at OF-6 and above in the Naval Service are no longer practising dentists.
	 denotes zero
	Army
	The figures in the tables are for the Royal Army Dental Core (RADC) which contains all dental personnel within the Army.
	
		Army(10) , (11) , (12)
		
			  OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 Total 
		
		
			 (a) Officers
			 April 1990  3 27 51 64 52 197 
			 April 1991 1 2 30 56 60 45 194 
			 April 1992 1 2 30 52 64 34 183 
			 April 1993  3 24 57 53 41 178 
			 April 1994  3 23 51 59 32 168 
			 April 1995  3 20 47 56 28 154 
			 April 1996  2 19 57 41 26 145 
			 April 1997  1 18 52 39 29 139 
			 April 1998  1 17 50 40 32 140 
			 April 1999  1 16 45 38 41 141 
			 April 2000  1 17 46 31 49 144 
			 April 2001 1 1 19 45 31 52 149 
			 April 2002 1 2 18 46 33 41 141 
			 April 2003 1 2 19 41 40 48 151 
			 January 2004 1 2 17 40 47 47 154 
		
	
	
		
			  OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2/OR-1 Total 
		
		
			 (b) Soldiers 
			 April 1990 9 17 24 64 31 27 18 190 
			 April 1991 9 17 25 55 28 24 21 179 
			 April 1992 8 17 21 54 33 24 15 172 
			 April 1993 8 19 25 69 64 67 50 302 
			 April 1994 8 16 23 50 66 55 45 263 
			 April 1995 6 12 26 44 59 51 45 243 
			 April 1996 9 10 23 48 63 48 41 242 
			 April 1997 6 11 24 44 53 46 49 233 
			 April 1998 4 14 22 43 49 44 38 214 
			 April 1999 5 12 24 45 45 50 38 219 
			 April 2000 5 13 24 46 54 51 33 226 
			 April 2001 5 15 21 42 65 50 42 240 
			 April 2002 5 13 22 40 69 49 47 245 
			 April 2003 6 15 22 38 70 55 59 265 
			 January 2004 7 14 21 44 68 52 51 257 
		
	
	(10) All Army officers in the table are qualified dentists, however as at 1 January 2004 there were 15 officers within the RADC who had an unallocated trade.
	(11) The soldiers figures are a mixture of hygienists, dental technicians, support specialists and other dental personnel.
	(12) Officers at OF-7 are no longer practising dentists.
	 denotes zero
	Royal Air Force
	
		Royal Air Force(13) , (14) , (15)
		
			  OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1/OF(D) Total 
		
		
			 (a) Officers 
			 April 1990  3 13 36 36 32  120 
			 April 1991  3 11 33 44 29  120 
			 April 1992  3 13 29 48 28  121 
			 April 1993 1 2 14 31 44 27  119 
			 April 1994 1 2 12 29 48 22 1 115 
			 April 1995 1 2 9 32 47 19  110 
			 April 1996 1 2 8 32 44 17  104 
			 April 1997 2 2 9 20 43 11  87 
			 April 1998 1 2 9 22 38 8  80 
			 April 1999 1 2 10 24 36 12  85 
			 April 2000 1 3 8 32 25 9  78 
			 April 2001 1 3 7 35 19 11  76 
			 April 2002  2 7 31 21 12  73 
			 April 2003  1 8 28 19 10  66 
			 January 2004  1 10 23 26 16  76 
		
	
	
		
			  OR-9 OR-7 OR-6 OR-4 OR-2 OR-1 Total 
		
		
			 (b) Airmen
			 April 1990 7 22 45 48 27 147 296 
			 April 1991 7 23 46 49 26 146 297 
			 April 1992 7 23 46 52 17 157 302 
			 April 1993 7 24 44 51 9 153 288 
			 April 1994 6 23 42 51 12 149 283 
			 April 1995 4 22 47 52 17 141 283 
			 April 1996 4 14 44 42 14 126 244 
			 April 1997 4 13 45 39 7 110 218 
			 April 1998 4 14 43 36 4 103 204 
			 April 1999 3 14 41 38 2 97 195 
			 April 2000 4 14 36 39 2 97 192 
			 April 2001 4 18 33 44 4 99 202 
			 April 2002 4 16 32 48 3 89 192 
			 April 2003 6 17 25 51 0 91 190 
			 January 2004 6 17 27 48 0 105 203 
		
	
	(13) All RAF officers in the table are dentists.
	(14) The Airmen figures are a mixture of hygienists, administrative staff, and technicians and nurses
	(15) Officers at OF-6 and above are no longer practising dentists. However there may be service personnel between OF-3 to OF-5 who although being qualified dentists may not be practising due to being posted on staff appointments.
	 denotes zero

Armed Forces Personnel (Overseas)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel from other countries are serving in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force; and from which countries they come.

Ivor Caplin: The number of foreign nationals serving in the Army at 1 January 2004 is 5,540. The following table gives a more detailed breakdown.
	
		
			 Nationality Officers Soldiers 
		
		
			 Irish Republican 25 175 
			 Australian 35 40 
			 Barbadian (16) 5 
			 British Commonwealth 5 10 
			 Cameroon 0 10 
			 Canadian 20 45 
			 Dominican 0 10 
			 Fijian (16) 1,720 
			 Gambian 0 55 
			 Ghanaian (16) 395 
			 Grenadian 0 45 
			 Guyanese 0 10 
			 Indian 10 25 
			 Jamaican (16) 870 
			 Kenyan 5 60 
			 Malawi 0 55 
			 Maltese (16) 5 
			 Mauritian 0 15 
			 New Zealander 25 45 
			 Nigerian (16) 45 
			 Pakistani (16) 5 
			 Seychellois 0 5 
			 Sierra Leone (16) 20 
			 South African 35 445 
			 Sri Lankan (16) 10 
			 St. Lucia (16) 215 
			 St. Vincent 0 285 
			 Tongan 0 5 
			 Trinidadian (16) 60 
			 Ugandan 0 20 
			 Zambian (16) 10 
			 Zimbabwean 25 485 
			 St. Helenian 0 25 
			 Nepalese 10 (16) 
			 Not known/stateless 35 (16) 
		
	
	(16) Denotes less than five
	The following nationalities have less than five officers and/or less than five soldiers:
	Antiguan
	Bangalee
	Belizean
	Botswana
	Cypriot
	Malaysian
	Namibian (formally South West African)
	Papuan
	Singaporean
	St. Kitts
	Swazi
	Tanzanian
	West Indian
	Falkland Islander
	Gibraltarian
	Montserrat Islander
	American
	German West
	Iranian
	Iraqi
	Pacific Islander
	Rhodesian
	Swiss
	For the Naval Service and RAF some information on 'not British' personnel is held but data are not accurate enough to provide a reliable estimate.

Challenger 2

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the operational effectiveness of Challenger 2 main battle tanks when crews are wearing individual protective equipment against nuclear, biological and chemical attack.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 5 March 2004
	The effect on the operational effectiveness of Challenger 2 tanks when their crew members are wearing individual protective equipment against nuclear, biological and chemical attack depends on a number of related and variable factors. These include the ambient temperature and the effectiveness of the crew cooling system; the length of time the equipment has been worn at high protection state; the amount of prior training undertaken by the crew; their physical fitness levels; and the psychological stresses imposed during battle. The requirement to operate Challenger 2 tanks in individual protection equipment is reflected in annual training.

Correspondence

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will write to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok with the answer he undertook to provide on 20 November 2003.

Adam Ingram: I replied to my hon. Friend today.

Hawk Trainer

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Hawk advanced jet trainers have been procured; and when delivery will take place.

Adam Ingram: Following the announcement last summer of our intention to procure Hawk 128 to meet our Advanced Jet Trainer requirement, detailed contractual negotiations with BAE SYSTEMS are continuing. Subject to a satisfactory conclusion, we are planning on placing an order for 20 aircraft with options for up to a further 24. The first aircraft would be delivered during 2008.

Iraq

Helen Liddell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the contribution of United Kingdom forces to the delivery of humanitarian aid in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: Enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid has been a key priority for UK forces since the end of major combat operations on 1 May 2003.
	In the period immediately after major combat operations ended UK forces cleared mines and other dangers in the waterway leading to Umm Qasr port and
	made safe the port area itself, opening the most important route into Iraq for humanitarian aid.
	Since then UK forces have delivered limited amounts of aid themselves and, when requested, have provided assistance to Non-Governmental Organisations working on humanitarian programmes in Iraq.

Iraq

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the humanitarian projects that United Kingdom forces have (a) completed and (b) not yet completed in Iraq since 1 May 2003.

Adam Ingram: United Kingdom forces have undertaken over 700 reconstruction projects in Iraq since the end of major combat operations. For a list of projects I refer my hon. Friend to my letter reference: D/MIN(AF)/5234N dated 10 March a copy of which is available in the Library of the House in response to question number 137519 from the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

Iraq

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what force protection measures are in place to protect the operatives of non-governmental organisations and humanitarian organisations within the UK sphere of military operations in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The UK does not routinely provide force protection to humanitarian or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Such organisations are directly responsible for assessing the risks to their staff. UK local commanders do discuss security and other practical issues with them on a regular basis.
	The coalition as a whole is working to secure conditions in which UN agencies, NGOs, humanitarian organisations and the Iraqi people are able to go about their business.

Iraq

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been paid to Iraqi families following the death of a member of their family while being held in British military custody.

Adam Ingram: UK Authorities have paid 1,875 to an Iraqi family following a death in custody.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status of UK forces in Iraq will be after 31 July; what legal mandate will govern their presence and operations; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 9 March 2004
	The status of UK forces in Iraq and the legal mandate that will govern their presence and operations after the handover of authority to an Iraqi government remain under consideration.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether techniques of sensory deprivation have been used on Iraqi detainees by members of the British armed forces.

Adam Ingram: Members of the armed forces may only use blindfolds on apprehended individuals for reasons of operational security, such as movement through military sensitive areas. No other forms of sensory deprivation are permitted.

Nuclear Submarines

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in place for providing compensation to the (a) residents and (b) businesses of Skye and Wester Ross in the event of a nuclear incident involving a nuclear submarine using the Z Berths at Aultbea and Broadford; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Government underwrite the nuclear risks associated with the consequences of the operation of its nuclear submarines. The indemnification of these risks is not limited either financially or geographically and depending on the location and type of incident, would cover the local residents and businesses on the Isle of Skye and at Wester Ross.

Government Contracts (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many procurement contracts were placed by his Department with companies based in Scotland in financial year (a) 200203, (b) 200102 and (c) 200001; what the (i) most expensive and (ii) least expensive contracts were; and what the total value of contracts was.

Adam Ingram: Details of procurement contracts directly placed by the Department with companies based in Scotland in each of the financial years requested is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year 
			  200001 200102 200203 
		
		
			 Number of new contracts let 724 604 600 
			 Total value of these contracts 250 million 1.2 billion 850 million 
			 Most valuable new contract let 59 million 395 million 418 million 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide meaningful data on the least valuable contracts let in each of these years because certain types of MOD contract are set up with a nominal value (normally 1) under which goods or services are then 'called-off' and paid for during the contract term.

Government Contracts (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many research contracts were placed by his Department with research institutions based in Scotland in fiscal year (a) 200203, (b) 200102 and (c) 200001; what the total value of these contracts was; and what the total value of research contracts placed within the UK was.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost (Exemption 9 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information).

Temporary Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 200102, (b) 200203 and (c) 200304 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Ivor Caplin: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Tomahawk Cruise Missiles

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of ship-borne Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a conventionally armed land attack missile. TLAM represents a major step forward in capability, enabling precision attacks at long range against selected targets. The missile's effectiveness is not affected by the platform from which it is launched.

Westminster Hall

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to have senior Ministers reply to debates in Westminster Hall.

Ivor Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1234W by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons.

PRIME MINISTER

Geoff Mulgan

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how many hours Mr. Geoff Mulgan has spent working on the Big Conversation Project; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Civil Servants act in accordance with the Civil Service Code.
	For information on the Big Conversation, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) on 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 113W.

Sir David King

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the implications of the findings of the Chief Scientist on climate change published in the journal Science in January.

Tony Blair: The article in Science was based on analysis which the Chief Scientific Adviser first set out in his Zuckerman Lecture in October 2002. His conclusion was that the evidence for man-made climate change was convincing and that this cannot be ignored. The Government share that view.
	This analysis underpinned the rationale behind the Energy White Paper, (CM5761) which sets out a programme to put the UK on a path to reduce the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by 2050. It also underpins the UK's support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol which are a vital first step to avoiding dangerous climate change. The UK has also been at the forefront of efforts to secure global action on climate change.

Sir David King

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the memorandum from Mr. Ivan Rogers to Sir David King, relating to public pronouncements on climate change, which wider policy aims would be adversely affected were Sir David King to grant interview requests from the media.

Tony Blair: David King is on the record many times outlining the importance of climate change to the media, including on his recent visit to the United States where he took part in a press conference and chaired a workshop that the media attended.

Sir David King

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what (a) representations were received from and (b) discussions took place with the US authorities on Sir David King's public statements on climate change between their publication and the issuing of the memorandum to Sir David King by Mr. Ivan Rogers, on media requests for an interview.

Tony Blair: The Government regularly have discussions with the US Government, at many levels, on a wide range of international issues including on climate change. As with previous Administrations, it is not the practice of this Government to make public details of discussions with foreign Governments.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Charities

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on legislative provisions on the monitoring and policing of companies registered as charities in Northern Ireland; and if he will propose amendments to Northern Ireland legislation to bring it into line with the rest of the United Kingdom in this regard.

John Spellar: Only charities based in England and Wales are registered. The provisions for the monitoring and policing of charities which are also limited companies are the same as for those which are not.
	In Northern Ireland:
	the Inland Revenue deal with charitable status for tax purposes;
	the PSNI can investigate any criminal offence alleged by or in connection with a charity;
	the PSNI license street and house-to-house collections; and
	the Department for Social Development can look at any dispute not involving criminal activity.
	In Northern Ireland, most complaints about collections or criminal activity fall to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Department for Social Development will consider non-criminal complaints but, like the Charity Commission for England and Wales, cannot interfere in a charity's affairs where the trustees have acted properly (for example, where there is a dispute between trustees as to which of a number of equally legitimate policies should be pursued) or consider cases which concern disagreements between trustees or between trustees and members which can and should be settled by the trustees themselves (for example, over the details of the employment of particular staff or selection of beneficiaries).
	The Government are currently considering proposed changes to the charities legislation in England and Wales and elsewhere with a view to deciding whether changes to the existing Northern Ireland charity legislation would be desirable. Any proposed changes will, of course, be the subject of public consultation as well as consultation with interested bodies.

Charities

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what plans he has to introduce a charity commissioner for Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what plans he has to bring the law governing charities in Northern Ireland into line with that in England and Wales.

John Spellar: In Northern Ireland the systems for dealing with charities are different from those in England and Wales:
	the Inland Revenue deal with charitable status for tax purposes;
	the PSNI can investigate any criminal offence alleged by or in connection with a charity;
	the PSNI license street and house-to-house collections; and
	the Department for Social Development can look at any dispute not involving criminal activity.
	In Northern Ireland, most complaints about collections or criminal activity fall to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Department for Social Development will consider non-criminal complaints but, like the Charity Commission for England and Wales, cannot interfere in a charity's affairs where the trustees have acted properly (for example, where there is a dispute between trustees as to which of a number of equally legitimate policies should be pursued) or consider cases which concern disagreements between trustees or between trustees and members which can and should be settled by the trustees themselves (for example, over the details of the employment of particular staff or selection of beneficiaries).
	The Government are currently considering proposed changes to the charities legislation in England and Wales and elsewhere with a view to deciding whether changes to the existing Northern Ireland charity legislation, including the option of establishing a Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, would be desirable. Any proposed changes will, of course, be the subject of public consultation as well as consultation with interested bodies.

Civil Service

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the pay dispute in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Ian Pearson: Extensive negotiations over several months did not result in an agreed pay deal for the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration this year. Management Side presented an offer worth 3.67 per cent. on 5 November. As this could not be agreed, and Trade Union Side declined to negotiate within the 3.67 per cent. envelope, we took the decision to proceed to pay the award and communicated this to staff and Trade Union Side on 27 November. I have made clear to Trade Union Side that the 3.67 per cent. deal is the maximum that can be paid. We are however exploring other reasonable means of resolving the dispute. Meetings with Trade Union Side took place on Thursday 19 February and Monday 8 March, and a further meeting is being arranged.
	Members of the NI Civil Service working in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to separate pay negotiations involving three Unions: NIPS A, PCS and the PDA. A formal offer of 3 per cent. was made to the Unions but was rejected. NIO intend to proceed to pay the award at the end of March.

Civil Service

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what annual pay rises have been awarded to (a) the Northern Ireland civil service and (b) senior civil servants in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The annual pay rises awarded to (a) the Northern Ireland civil service and (b) senior civil servants in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997 are as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			  Civil servants below the SCS Senior civil servants 
		
		
			 2003 3.67 5.37 
			 2002 5.5 4.38 
			 2001 4.85 4.4 
			 2000 4.5 4.4 
			 1999 3.97 4.3 
			 1998 3.2 5.5 
			 1997 3.2 4.5

Cormorants

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he is taking to control cormorants and their predation on fish-stock.

Angela Smith: In Northern Ireland all wild birds are protected under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. Cormorants are also protected under the EC Birds Directive (1979). If there is a specific local problem with cormorants seriously damaging fish stocks, my Department will consider applications for a licence to control the birds at the point of damage.
	Any such a licence will require the licensee to report on activities authorised by it to the Department.

Cormorants

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licences to cull cormorants have been issued in each of the last 10 years; and how many cormorants have been culled in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The figures requested are set out as follows. The licences are issued for the purpose of protecting fisheries, and the number culled is based on reports received from the licensees as a condition of their licences.
	
		
			  Number of licences issued Number of cormorants reported culled 
		
		
			 1995 19 82 
			 1996 20 107 
			 1997 21 87 
			 1998 21 99 
			 1999 23 76 
			 2000 16 77 
			 2001 20 70 
			 2002 31 93 
			 2003 13 56 
			 2004(17) 2 10 
		
	
	(17) Up to 1 March 2004

Cormorants

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of the number of cormorants in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The following figures are winter peak counts for cormorants in Northern Ireland. The total is made up from both breeding birds and winter visitors.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199495 1,475 
			 199596 2,058 
			 199697 1,785 
			 199798 2,194 
			 199899 3,229 
			 19992000 2,761 
			 200001 2,477 
		
	
	The data have not yet been validated for 2001 onwards.

Cormorants

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate (a) the number and (b) the percentage of salmon smolts returning seawards on the River Bush that were taken by cormorants in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: No estimates of the levels of salmon smolt predation by cormorants have been made on the River Bush in the last 10 years. Previous studies carried out during the 1980s indicated that predation levels could be in excess of 50 per cent. of the wild smolt runs at that time.

Education Jobs Evaluation

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether non-teaching staff in the voluntary grammar and integrated education sector will be included in the job evaluation scheme being funded and carried out by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: Job evaluations in the voluntary grammar school and grant-maintained school sectors are a matter for individual schools, as the employing authorities. The Department of Education will be discussing with representatives of these sectors the implications of job evaluations in Education and Library Boards, and any consequent budgetary pressures will be considered in light of the resources available and the associated circumstances.

Electoral Register

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to locate electors missing from the latest electoral register; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: Electoral registration is primarily a matter for the Chief Electoral Officer. However, individuals who are eligible and are not on the register can still have their names added to the register under the system of rolling registration. The Electoral Commission will shortly be embarking on a major publicity drive to encourage this.
	The Electoral Office and the Electoral Commission are working closely together to encourage potential electors to register. It is planned to focus on groups who are traditionally under-represented on the register, such as young people, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with literacy problems or whose first language is not English.
	The Commission is also funding a call centre to deal with queries on the electoral process including registration. Rolling registration forms are widely available, including electronically from the Electoral office website.

Means-Tested Benefits

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what benefits to which pensioners are entitled in Northern Ireland are means-tested; what steps he is taking to reduce the number of means-tested benefits in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: Pensioners in Northern Ireland are eligible to claim state pension credit and housing benefit which are income-related or means-tested benefits.
	The Government's policy is to focus help on the poorest pensioners. Income-related benefits are an integral part of a complementary mixture of social security provision alongside contributory and universal benefits. There are no plans to reduce the number of means-tested benefits available to people in Northern Ireland.

New Deal

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have participated in the Preparation for Employment programme element of New Deal 25 + in Northern Ireland in each year since its inception.

Jane Kennedy: The Preparation for Employment programme was introduced in Northern Ireland in April 2001 as the main element of provision within the New Deal 25+.
	The number of people who have participated in the Preparation for Employment programme and the former Intensive Activity Period, which it replaced, are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 November 1998 to March 1999 130 
			 19992000 6,690 
			 200001 3,441 
			 200102 2,633 
			 200203 3,176 
			 April 2003 to December 2003 1,408

New Deal

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost per participant is of the Preparation for Employment programme element of New Deal 25 +.

Jane Kennedy: The cost per participant on the Preparation for Employment programme element of New Deal 25+ ranges from 2,910 to 4,372, depending on the duration of participation i.e. 20 or 26 weeks and outcomes achieved.

New Deal

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sanctions are applied to those who refuse to participate in the Preparation for Employment programme element of New Deal 25 Plus.

John Spellar: The New Deal is founded on the principle of rights and responsibilities. The Preparation for Employment Programme element of New Deal 25 Plus is mandatory for those aged 25 to 49.
	The sanction for a first failure to comply with the requirements of the Preparation for Employment Programme is the loss of jobseeker's allowance for two weeks. The sanction for a second failure to comply which occurs within 12 months of the imposition of the first sanction is the loss of jobseeker's allowance for four weeks. The sanction for a third or subsequent failure to comply which occurs within 12 months of the imposition of the previous sanction is the loss of jobseeker's allowance for 26 weeks.

New Deal

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend participation in the Preparation for Employment programme element of New Deal 25+ to those aged over 49 years.

Jane Kennedy: The Preparation for Employment programme element of New Deal 25+ is currently available to all unemployed jobseekers aged 25 or over when they have been in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for 18 months, or for 18 out of the last 21 months. Those aged 50 or over, who meet the JSA eligibility criteria, are able to participate in the programme on a voluntary basis. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will shortly commence a two year pilot, in selected areas of GB, requiring mandatory participation in the Preparation for Employment programme for those eligible JSA claimants aged 50 or over. The Department for Employment and Learning will examine the recommendations arising from the evaluation report of the pilot, when it is available, with a view to implementing them in Northern Ireland.

Non-UK Residents

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Northern Ireland who hold nationality from countries other than the UK.

Ian Pearson: The closest approximation to the requested data derives from the Labour Force Survey in Northern Ireland, which collects information on nationality and country of birth. The most recent results indicate that between September and November 2003 there were an estimated 48,000 persons resident in Northern Ireland who were born outside the UK and held nationality from countries other than the UK. In addition, people born in Northern Ireland generally have the right to hold both British and Irish citizenship.

Prison Statistics

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each of the detention centres and prisons (a) how many places there were, (b) how many prisoners are occupying them and (c) how many prisoners share cells.

Jane Kennedy: As of 4 March 2004, the number of places available and the number of prisoners occupying them is as shown in the following table. The number of prisoners who share cells is difficult to establish as that figure changes on a daily basis and therefore the figures shown represent the approximate number of cells currently capable of being shared.
	
		
			  Maghaberry Magilligan Hydebank Wood 
		
		
			 Number of cells available 753 352 212 
			 Number of prisoners occupying cells 716 348 196 
			 Approximate number of cells currently capable of being shared 129 12 (18)0 
		
	
	(18) In Hydebank Wood, no cells are capable of being shared although dormitories can accommodate a number of inmates.

Punishment Beatings

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many punishment beatings have been reported in the past two months, broken down by constituency; and how many there were in the same period in 2003.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows.
	
		Security situation statistics for Northern Ireland by District Command Unit number of casualties as a result of Paramilitary Style Assaults
		
			 DCU January 2004 February 2004 January 2003 February 2003 
		
		
			 North Belfast   1  
			 South Belfast 2 1   
			 East Belfast  1 1  
			 West Belfast 1 1 1 1 
			 Newtownabbey 1  1 3 
			 Carrickfergus 2  1  
			 North Down 4
			 Castlereagh1 
			 Lisburn 1 1 1 1 
			 Antrim 1 1 1  
			 Ards   1  
			 Larne1 
			 Ballymena 
			 Coleraine 
			 Ballymoney 
			 Moyle   1  
			 Fermanagh 1
			 Strabane  1   
			 Limavady 
			 Omagh 
			 Magherafelt 
			 Foyle 1 1  1 
			 Banbridge 1
			 Craigavon 
			 Downpatrick 
			 Newry and Mourne 
			 Cookstown 
			 Armagh 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone  1   
			 Total for Northern Ireland 15 8 9 8 
		
	
	Note:
	2004 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment.

Ulster Scots

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what criteria he uses to measure demand for the Ulster Scots language to be a subject option on the education curriculum;
	(2)  what he considers to be an appropriate level of demand to merit the inclusion of the Ulster Scots language in the curriculum;
	(3)  if the system used by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland for measuring demand for Ulster Scots is scientifically based and quality assured;
	(4)  what steps the Department of Education has taken to seek the views of the public on the issue of demand for Ulster Scots language;
	(5)  what criteria he uses to measure demand for the Ulster Scots language to be a subject option on the education curriculum; whether the system used to measure demand is (a) scientifically based and (b) quality assured; what margin of error there is in the measurements of demand; what steps he has taken to seek the views of the public on such demand; and if he will publish the results of (i) surveys and (ii) measurements of demand for the Ulster Scots language in Northern Ireland;
	(6)  what equality impact assessment he has carried out on his policy on the inclusion of the (a) Irish and (b) Ulster Scots languages in the school curriculum.

Jane Kennedy: To merit consideration of the inclusion of the Ulster Scots language in the curriculum would require a demand from a significant number of schools. As part of a recent widespread public consultation on the proposals for a revised statutory curriculum all consultees had the opportunity to comment on the content of the proposed curriculum and the potential equality impact of the detailed proposals. No such demand was evident during the consultation.

Unionist Paramilitary Groups

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent meetings with Unionist parties which discussed methods of curbing the activities of Unionist paramilitary groups.

Paul Murphy: In our discussions with all political parties, including those involved in the review of the operation of the Belfast Agreement, we have emphasised the need for an end to paramilitary activity, as set out in paragraph 13 of the Joint Declaration. We believe all parties must use any influence they have in order to bring this about.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits Appeals

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals were made against decisions on (i) disability and (ii) sickness benefits in each year since 1997 in Greater London.

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 11 March 2004
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the number of successful and unsuccessful appeals against decisions on disability and sickness benefits since 1997 in Greater London.
	The information is not available for Greater London. However the available information is outlined in the table. The Appeals Service regional sites based at Nottingham, Sutton, and Birmingham deal with parts of Greater London.
	I hope this reply is helpful.
	
		Successful and Unsuccessful appeals against decisions made on disability and sickness benefits by year (19982003)Figures from regional sites at Nottingham, Sutton and Birmingham
		
			  Cleared at Hearing Cleared in favour of appellant Cleared against appellant Other decisions Decision upheld 
		
		
			 2003  
			 Nottingham  
			 Sickness 8,025 3,550  105 4,370 
			 Disability 17,520 8,495 5 375 8,645 
			 Sutton  
			 Sickness 2,760 1,680  5 1,070 
			 Disability 5,360 3,570 5 15 1,775 
			 Birmingham  
			 Sickness 4,960 1,935  15 3,010 
			 Disability 10,275 4,720 40 75 5,440 
			   
			 2002  
			 Nottingham  
			 Sickness 5,730 2,230  70 3,430 
			 Disability 16,300 8,060 15 290 7,935 
			 Sutton  
			 Sickness 4,465 2,335  15 2,115 
			 Disability 7,390 4,790 5 25 2,575 
			 Birmingham  
			 Sickness 3,775 1,510  15 2,250 
			 Disability 9,835 4,690 35 65 5,045 
			   
			 2001  
			 Nottingham  
			 Sickness 4,380 1,490  50 2,840 
			 Disability 17,545 8,375 15 240 8,915 
			 Sutton  
			 Sickness 4,195 2,200  25 1,965 
			 Disability 9,665 6,260 5 55 3,340 
			 Birmingham  
			 Sickness 2,970 1,120 5 15 1,830 
			 Disability 10,055 4,415 25 75 5,535 
			 2000  
			 Nottingham  
			 Sickness 6,325 2,185 15 65 4,065 
			 Disability 11,910 5,820 40 165 5,885 
			 Sutton  
			 Sickness 5,565 2,860  40 2,660 
			 Disability 6,295 3,965 5 70 2,255 
			 Birmingham  
			 Sickness 3,190 1,135 5 15 2,030 
			 Disability 7,430 3,300 45 50 4,035 
			   
			 1999  
			 Nottingham  
			 Sickness 530 200 10 15 300 
			 Disability 10,245 4,920 90 180 5,055 
			 Sutton  
			 Sickness 320 155 5 10 150 
			 Disability 6,305 3,635 25 85 2,560 
			 Birmingham  
			 Sickness 235 60 20 5 150 
			 Disability 7,040 3,055 75 75 3,840 
			   
			 1998  
			 Nottingham  
			 Sickness 395 180 5 10 205 
			 Disability 7,610 3,995 70 95 3,445 
			 Sutton  
			 Sickness 260 120 10  125 
			 Disability 4,015 2,110 30 65 1,810 
			 Birmingham  
			 Sickness 260 65 20 5 165 
			 Disability 4,575 1,915 90 50 2,520 
		
	
	Appeals figures notes:
	Sickness Benefits meansSevere Disablement Allowance; Personal Capability Assessment (non IB); Incapacity Benefit
	Disability Benefits meansIndustrial Injuries Disablement Benefit; Disability Working Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; Disabled Persons Tax Credit; Attendance Allowance
	Figures for 1997 have not been included, as they are not available for the full year and as result would be inconsistent with other years.
	All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
	Figures for the latest months may rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest five except for the National Live Load, which is rounded to the nearest hundred.
	'' denotes data equal to nil or negligible.
	Incapacity Benefit data is not available before 2000 due to a change in methodology. The live load figures for Sickness Benefits and Disability Benefits as at August 2003 were 2,715,800 and 4,228,100 respectively. These figures cannot be broken down to those for Appeals Service regional office areas to give the number of appeals cleared as a percentage of the live load.
	Source:
	100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

Disability Discrimination Act

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department is taking to prepare (a) businesses and (b) service providers for the implementation of the parts of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which come into effect later this year.

Maria Eagle: We are making significant changes to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) on 1 October 2004 to improve access to employment and to goods and services for all disabled people in this country. Employers with fewer than 15 staff will be covered by the employment duties for the first time. Service providers will also be under new duties to make reasonable adjustments to physical barriers which prevent disabled people accessing their services.
	We are taking action on three fronts to prepare employers and service providers for these changes:
	undertaking targeted campaigns using a range of press, broadcast and web-based media to raise awareness of the new duties;
	directly mailing around a million individual small businesses to explain their responsibilities under the DDA and the business benefits of making adjustments for disabled people; and
	running another Access All Areas award to encourage the spread of best practice among service providers.
	This activity complements the Disability Rights Commission's Open4All campaign, which is targeted at small service providers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Burglary

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) charged, (b) prosecuted and (c) found guilty of burglary in Greater London in each year since 1997; how many of these were under (i) 16, (ii) 18 and (iii) 21 years; and how many of those found guilty were given (A) custodial and (B) non-custodial sentences, broken down by age group.

Paul Goggins: The available information is contained in the table and relates to offenders proceeded against at the magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for burglary of all types in Greater London, 1997 to 2002.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
	
		Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and those found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences of burglary(19) by age and outcome -- Greater London(20) 1997 to 2002
		
			  Number of persons 
			  Persons proceeded against Persons found guilty at all courts Persons sentenced Sentenced to immediate custody Given non-custodial sentences 
		
		
			 1997  
			 All ages 5,547 3,551 3,609 1,815 1,794 
			 of whom:  
			 Aged 1015 493 288 289 51 238 
			 Aged 1617 830 539 551 159 392 
			 Aged 1820 1,143 769 781 363 418 
			   
			 1998  
			 All ages 5,534 3,408 3,611 1,880 1,731 
			 of whom:  
			 Aged 1015 507 296 299 35 264 
			 Aged 1617 763 487 487 154 333 
			 Aged 1820 1,037 646 699 353 346 
			   
			 1999  
			 All ages 5,309 3,313 3,358 1,739 1,619 
			 of whom:  
			 Aged 1015 479 276 275 30 245 
			 Aged 1617 670 424 424 138 286 
			 Aged 1820 998 646 640 324 316 
			 2000  
			 All ages 5,355 3,290 3,367 1,966 1,401 
			 of whom:  
			 Aged 1015 403 216 214 34 180 
			 Aged 1617 687 406 408 127 281 
			 Aged 1820 908 595 615 335 280 
			   
			 2001  
			 All ages 5,374 3,148 3,189 1,768 1,421 
			 of whom:  
			 Aged 1015 454 224 224 35 189 
			 Aged 1617 689 378 376 105 271 
			 Aged 1820 814 452 436 246 190 
			   
			 2002  
			 All ages 5,782 3,364 3,261 1,790 1,471 
			 of whom:  
			 Aged 1015 448 238 238 21 217 
			 Aged 1617 664 352 352 112 240 
			 Aged 1820 802 432 423 232 191 
		
	
	(19) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(20) Metropolitan and City of London police force areas.

Correspondence

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letters of 31 July 2003 and 24 November 2003 from the hon. Member for Maidstone and the Weald about Mrs. Rosa Wiles.

Beverley Hughes: Our records show that I wrote to the right hon. Lady on 4 August 2003 in response to a previous letter of 23 July 2003. The right hon. Lady's office confirmed this reply dealt with the points raised in the right hon. Lady's letter of 31 July 2003 and that a further reply was not required. Although there was no record of the right hon. Lady's letter of 24 November 2003 having been received by the Home Office your office sent a copy and I wrote to the right hon. Lady on 11 March.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 28 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Hussain.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 11 March.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Nicholls;
	(2)  when his Department will reply to the letter to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 15 January with regard to Mr. A. Nicholls.

David Blunkett: The Minister of State wrote to my right hon. Friend on 11 March.

Corruption

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department intends to establish a specialised authority to combat corruption in line with Article 36 of the UN Convention Against Corruption.

Caroline Flint: The UK is already in compliance with article 36 of the UN Convention against Corruption which stipulates that each State Party shall ensure the existence of a body or bodies or persons specialised in combating corruption through law enforcement. There are persons specialised in combating corruption in a number of law enforcement authorities which have responsibility for investigating or prosecuting corruption offences, such as the CPS and the Metropolitan Police.

Curfew Orders

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many curfew orders have been made in Chorley in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is contained in the table and relates to offenders sentenced to a curfew order for all offences in the Chorley Petty Sessional Area (PSA) and at the Crown court when committed from the Chorley PSA, in the years 1998 to 2002.
	
		Persons(21) sentenced to a curfew order(22) for all offences in the Chorley PSA, 1999 to 2002
		
			  Sentenced to a curfew order 
		
		
			 1999  
			 2000 5 
			 2001 8 
			 2002 11 
		
	
	(21) These data are on the principal offence.
	(22) Curfew orders were introduced nationally in December 1999
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Curfew Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) home and (b) child curfew orders have been made in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible, from the statistics collected centrally, to identify persons released from custody on Home Detention Curfew orders by area.
	The available information is contained in the table and relates to juveniles aged 1017 sentenced to a curfew order for all offences in the Greater London area, each borough in outer London and each magistrates court in inner London (it is not possible from the statistics collected centrally to identify boroughs in inner London). The figures include curfew orders imposed at the Crown Court when committed for trial or sentence from the courts/boroughs shown.
	
		Number(23) of juveniles aged 1017 sentenced to a curfew order for all offences in Greater London(24) and each London borough1998 to 2002(23)
		
			  Sentenced to a curfew order 
			 Magistrates court/borough 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			  Inner London magistrates courts(24) 
			 Bow Street  
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge   1 6 24 
			 Guildhall Justice Rooms  
			 Greenwich/Woolwich  
			 Highbury Corner  
			 Horseferry Road1  
			 Marylebone  
			 South Western   3 30 56 
			 Thames   11 33 36 
			 West London   5 16 46 
			   
			 Outer London boroughs  
			 Barking and Dagenham4 11 
			 Barnet 1  3 2 5 
			 Bexley 5 
			 Brent 9 5  3 2 
			 Bromley   2 2 1 
			 Croydon1 12 
			 Ealing 1 1  1 6 
			 Enfield 1 3 8 5 9 
			 Harringey   1 5 13 
			 Harrow 1 1 2 1 4 
			 Havering 2 
			 Hillingdon  3 2 9  
			 Hounslow   4 2 10 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames1 1 
			 Merton4 13 
			 Newham2 13 
			 Redbridge1 5 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames3 5 
			 Sutton1 7 
			 Waltham Forest9 6 
			 Total 13 13 42 142 292 
		
	
	(23) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(24) Information held centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by borough in the inner London area.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Curfew Orders

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many home curfew orders have been made in (a) Ribble Valley and Fulwood and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The available information is contained in the table and relates to persons sentenced to a curfew order for all offences at all courts in the Lancashire police force area, 1998 to 2002. It is not possible to separately identify the areas of Ribble Valley and Fulwood in the statistics collected centrally.
	
		Number of persons(25) sentenced to a curfew order for all offences at all courts in the Lancashire police force area(26), 1998 to 2002
		
			  Sentenced to a curfew order 
		
		
			 1999 1 
			 2000 58 
			 2001 61 
			 2002 195 
		
	
	(25) These data are on the principal offence basis
	(26) Curfew orders were introduced nationally in December 1999
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Litter Abatement Orders (Merseyside)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions local authorities in Merseyside have issued a litter abatement order to landowners in each of the last five years.

Alun Michael: I have been asked to reply.
	Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Principle Litter Authorities can serve litter abatement notices on the occupier of land or, if unoccupied, on the owner of the land. Litter abatement orders can be served by a magistrates' court should any person be aggrieved by the defacement of litter or refuse on relevant land and highways make a complaint.
	The information collected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs indicates that Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens or Wirral local authorities have not issued any litter abatement notices to landowners during the last five years.

Looked-After Children

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many looked-after children aged 10 or over were cautioned or convicted for an offence in each year since 1994; and what the figures were for all children.

Paul Goggins: Figures on looked after children aged 10 or over who were convicted or subject to a final warning or reprimand have been collected annually since 2000 for those children who have been continuously looked after for at least 12 months. These figures, provided by the Department for Education and Skills, cover England only, and are shown in the following table:
	
		Offending by children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months, years ending 30September 2000 to 2002England -- Number(27) of children
		
			  Number of looked after children aged 10 or older at 30 September of which: Number convicted or subject to a final warning or reprimand during the year 
		
		
			 Number   
			 2000 25,700 2,800 
			 2001 27,000 2,800 
			 2002 28,200 2,700 
			
			 Percentage   
			 2000  10.8 
			 2001  10.4 
			 2002  9.7 
		
	
	(27) Numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 100.
	National figures for 2003 are due to be published in April.
	Similar information for Wales is not available
	The following table shows the number of all children found guilty or cautioned (given reprimands or final warnings from June 2000) in England and Wales:
	
		Children aged 1017 cautioned and found guilty at all courts for all offences(28), England and Wales 19942002
		
			  Children cautioned Children found guilty Total Proportion of total children in age group (percentage) 
		
		
			 1994 124,654 62,062 186,716 3.8 
			 1995 120,561 67,864 188,425 3.7 
			 1996 113,065 74,675 187,740 3.6 
			 1997 104,520 79,151 183,671 3.5 
			 1998 109,725 86,506 196,231 3.7 
			 1999 103,978 90,280 194,258 3.7 
			 2000 97,541 91,423 188,964 3.5 
			 2001 98,042 95,530 193,572 3.6 
			 2002 86,589 94,546 181,135 3.3 
		
	
	(28) These data are on the principal offence basis
	Statistics for 2003 for England and Wales will be published in the autumn.

No Fixed Abode

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of whether the monetary grant made available for prisoners on release from custodial sentence offering no fixed abode as an address acts as an incentive to give no fixed abode as their address; and whether paedophiles giving no fixed abode on release avoid immediate listing on the Register of Sex Offenders.

Paul Goggins: A higher rate of discharge grant is paid to prisoners on release only if there is a need to seek, obtain and pay for accommodation. It is only paid to prisoners with no accommodation arranged in advance if this arises through no fault of the prisoner.
	The Prison Service undertook a large-scale survey in March and April 2003 of sentenced prisoners nearing release. 29 per cent. said they did not have accommodation arranged on release, compared to 33 per cent. in a similar survey undertaken in November and December 2001.
	Registered sex offenders are subject to the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 1997. They are required to provide the police with their home address within three days of their release from prison. Where an offender does not have a home address (which is his sole or main residence in the UK), he is required to provide the police with an address of premises in the UK which he regularly visits.

Oakington Immigration Centre

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of policing arising from (a) the activity at, and (b) escapes from the immigration centre at Oakington, Cambridgeshire.

Hazel Blears: The Chief Constable has informed me that the costs of policing activity incurred by the force over the period 1 January 2002 to 1 March 2004 was:
	(a) 950 for responding to 83 calls to assist at the Oakington immigration centre.
	(b) 3,250 to deal with 31 incidents involving escapees from the centre.

Operation Artemis

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the police of Operation Artemis.

Caroline Flint: There was no cost to the police from Operation Artemis. Operation Artemis was a French-led European Union operation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support the United Nations Mission present in the country and to provide a secure environment under which the interim administration could function.
	It was deployed for a short period from June 2003 until 15 September 2003 and was a military mission with no civilian police involvement.

Police Officers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each (a) London borough and (b) Metropolitan police division in each year since 1992, in terms of (i) budgeted establishment and (ii) officers in post.

Hazel Blears: The deployment of officers to territorial divisions is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Sir John Stevens). The information requested has been provided by the Commissioner in tabular form. Table 1 sets out the position in the MRS between 1992 and 1998. Table 2 continues with figures for a revised structure in 1999 and 2000. Table 3 sets out the position following the boundary changes on 1 April 2000. These tables have been placed in the Library.
	The structure of Metropolitan Police territorial divisions and Borough Operational Command Units over the period 1992 to 2003 has changed. Figures are not therefore strictly comparable year on year as a result of boundary and organisational changes in the Metropolitan Police Service (MRS). In particular organisational changes were made following boundary changes on 1 April 2000 with the Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey forces. The current territorial areas, introduced in 2000, are not therefore compatible with the previous force structure.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all prisons issue prisoners with a plastic sack marked HM Prison Service to contain their belongings on discharge; and what assessment he has made of alternatives to this practice.

Paul Goggins: Plastic sacks stamped with the Prison Service logo are used to store prisoners' property while they are in custody. The Prison Service has made it clear that their use for prisoners' property on discharge is not acceptable. Since October 2002 the Prison Service has made available to prisons plain nylon barrel bags for use for prisoners' property on discharge. These have been well received by prisoners and staff.

Prisons

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the average weekly hours of purposeful activity in (a) privately run prisons and (b) state run prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: During this financial year, to the end of January prisoners undertook an average of 23 hours of purposeful activity per week in public sector prisons and 26.3 hours in contracted out prisons.
	Note:
	These figures are provisional and have been taken from establishment purposeful activity returns for the financial year 2003 to present.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are housed in modular temporary units, broken down by prisons.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 March 2004
	The number of prisoners accommodated in Modular Temporary Units (MTUs) is not held centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 10 February 2004, Official Report, column 1431 for the capacity of MTUs across the prison estate, broken down by establishment.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sites are being assessed as potential new sites for prisons.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 March 2004
	The Prison Service is actively seeking potential sites suitable for the development of prison establishments. The details of any individual sites cannot be disclosed for commercial reasons.

Women Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken to implement the results of the research commissioned from Prisoners' Families on enabling women prisoners to keep in touch with their families.

Paul Goggins: The work carried out by Action for Prisoners' Families will continue to inform the development of family policy and practice at Cookham Wood and other women's prisons.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Trading Standards

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information the Office collects on the on-line submission of complaints to trading standards offices.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of Fair Trading do not collect statistics about the on-line submission of complaints to trading standards Departments. However, ConsumerComplaints.org.uk is a site developed with DTI support, which enables consumers to complain on-line. The complaint is automatically directed to the appropriate Trading Standards Department. Individual trading standards Departments use computer systems that are able to generate reports on how complaints are received. This would include a report on the number of complaints received on-line, compared to other methods.

Bankruptcies

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies went bankrupt in (a) Huddersfield and (b) the UK in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Company Insolvency data for Huddersfield are not separately identifiable. Compulsory insolvencies are only broken down by Official Receivers Office. Huddersfield county court comes under the jurisdiction of the Official Receivers Office at Leeds, which also has responsibility for Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Harrogate, Keighley, Leeds, Otley, Pontefract, Skipton, Wakefield and Todmorden. Company Insolvency Figures for the UK are provided in the following table:
	
		Company insolvencies in the UK 1997 to 2003
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 England and Wales 12,610 13,203 14,280 14,317 14,972 16,305 14,184 
			 Scotland 477 566 572 583 602 788 631 
			 Northern Ireland 113 99 103 136 100 102 143 
			 UK total 13,200 13,868 14,955 15,036 15,674 17,195 14,958

Biomass Electricity Project, Winkleigh

John Burnett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the requests for payment from (a) her Department and (b) the South West Regional Development Agency in respect of the proposed Biomass Electricity Generation project at Winkleigh, Devon.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 27 February 2004
	The Department received an application for grant assistance of 11.50 million for this project under the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme in October 2002. The project was given a grant offer of 11.50 million in February 2003. No payments have yet been made, under this grant.
	In parallel, the South West of England Regional Development Agency has received an application for support totalling 623,900 in respect of this project. Project funding has been authorised and to date 384,391 has been paid (mainly for land acquisition) leaving 239,509 to be paid as other elements of the project are completed.

British Nuclear Fuels

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers who transferred from AEA Technology to British Nuclear Fuels on 2 December 2003 lost pension benefits as a result; for what reasons they are required to pay increased contribution rates for pensions in their new jobs; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 10 March 2004
	The staff that transferred on 1 December 2003 have until the end of May to decide which pension option they would like to take up out of those presented to them as part of the flexible transfer process.
	As a minimum, transferring staff retained the value of their existing AEA Technology (AEAT) pension fund. This existing pension fund had diminished during employment with AEAT but on transfer the funds were augmented via a mechanism involving AEAT, BNFL and employee's contributions. The Government Actuary's Department considered that the value of pension benefits arising from the augmented funds to represent a fair and equitable transfer of benefits under the stated Government guidelines on transfer of pension benefits within the public sector.
	Transferring staff contribution rates are the same as those that they would have been required to make under their previous employment with AEAT if the transfer had never occurred.

British Nuclear Fuels

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with BNFL about their overseas contracts.

Stephen Timms: BNFL operates within a Governance Framework agreed by the Department as shareholder. Within this framework, BNFL is required to seek departmental agreement to specific contracts subject to certain criteria. On behalf of the Secretary of State, officials have regular discussions with BNFL regarding their overseas contracts in this context.

Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for Christchurch will receive a substantive response to his letter of 18 December 2003 about the employment of non-UK labour in the construction industry and the Posting of Workers Directive.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As set out in the reply to the hon. Member for Christchurch, these are very important issues upon which the Government are seeking to obtain the full facts. I will write to him when I have further information to provide.

Employment Rights Advice Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expected annual cost savings to her Department are of its decision to cease production of hard copy prints of most of its employment rights advice booklets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We anticipate savings in the region of 380,000 per annum.

Employment Rights Advice Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 630W, to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), on employment rights leaflets, which leading customers of her Department's information service were consulted in relation to the decision to cease production of hard copy prints of most of the service's employment rights advice booklets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Ceasing production of hard copy documents was one of the recommendations of a review on how our information on employment rights could be better focused on users needs. A practitioner group was set up as the means of consultation. Listed are the groups invited to be part of that group:
	CBI
	Trade Unions Congress
	Small Business Council
	Commission for Racial Equality
	NACAB
	British Retail Consortium
	Parents at Work
	Equal Opportunities Commission
	MaternityAlliance
	Amicus
	EEF
	ACCA
	West Midlands Employment and Low Pay Unit
	Construction Confederation
	British Hospitality Association
	Canary Wharf Group PLC
	Leo Abse and Cowen
	LG Electronics
	ACAS
	Disability Rights Commission
	CIPD
	British Chambers of Commerce
	Federation of Small Business
	An Employment Law Consultant

Employment Rights Advice Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 630W, to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), how many end users were surveyed during her Department's recent review of its information service; and how these end users were selected.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The review was conducted on the basis of consultation with users groups. A survey was not undertaken.

Employment Rights Advice Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many paper copies of each of her Department's employment rights booklets were ordered by customers in the most recent annual period for which information is available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the following list.
	
		
			 Employment Rights Publication Annual issues up to 5 September 2003 
		
		
			 Industrial action ballots and notice to employers. PL962 (Rev 1) 1,202 
			 Written statement of employment particulars. PL700 (Rev 5) 12,587 
			 Trade Union political funds: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL868 (Rev 3) 752 
			 Industrial action and the law: a guide for employees, trade union members and others. PL869 (Rev 4) 2,302 
			 Industrial action and the law: a guide for employers, their customers and suppliers and others. PL870 (Rev 4) 1,135 
			 Family emergency? your right to time off. PL506 9,224 
			 Argyfwng teuluol? eich hawl I gael amser I ffwrdd 121 
			 Benefit repayment: a guide for employers required to repay state benefit previously claimed by an employee who has won an employment tribunal award. PL720 (Rev 4) 1,771 
			 Trade union executive elections: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL866 (Rev 3) 516 
			 Time off for public duties. PL702 (Rev 4) 3,230 
			 Unjustifiable discipline by a trade union: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL865 (Rev2) 1,002 
			 Access to workers during recognition and derecognition ballots. PL500 555 
			 Guarantee payments. PL724 (Rev 2) 4,030 
			 Union membership: rights of members and non-members. PL871 (Rev 7) 2,724 
			 Hawliau mamolaeth: arweiniad I gyflogwyr a gweithwyr. PL958 (Diw 7) 158 
			 Suspension from work on medical or maternity grounds under health and safety regulations. PL705 (Rev4) 1,402 
			 Trade union funds and accounting records: a guide for trade unions, their members and others. PL867 (Rev 3) 732 
			 Family emergency? Your right to time off (audiotape). PL506 74 
			 Time off for dependants: a guide for employers and employees (audiotape. 60 
			 Contracts of employment: changes, breach of contract and deductions from wages. PL810 (Rev 6) 18,420 
			 Sunday shop and betting work: employees' rights. PL960 (Rev 1) 1,567 
			 Contractau cyflogaeth: newidiadau, torri contract a thynn'u ol o gyflog. PL810 (Diw 6) 0 
			 Disclosures in the public interest: protections for workers who 'blow the whistle'. PL502 (Rev 2) 3,444 
			 Rights to notice and reasons for dismissal. PL707 (Rev 13) 10,256 
			 Adoptive parents: rights to leave and pay when a child is placed for adoption in the UK (PL518) 2,848 
			 Working fathers: rights to paternity leave and pay. A guide for employers and employees. PL517 20,935 
			 Transfers of undertakings: a guide to the regulations. PL699 (Rev 6). 10,886 
			 Dismissal: fair and unfair. A guide for employers. PL714 (Rev 10) 15,551 
			 Hawliau unigol gweithwyr: arweiniad i gyflogwyr a gweithwyr. PL716 (Diw 9) 159 
			 Parental leave: a guide for employers and employees. PL509 12 
			 Parental leave: a short guide. PL510 235 
			 Unfairly dismissed? PL712 (Rev 17) 8,621 
			 Pay statements: what they must itemise. PL704 (Rev 5) 4,640 
			 Maternity rights: a guide for employers and employees. PL958 (Rev 7) 3,310 
			 Employment agencies: know your rights. PL511 1,518 
			 Industrial action and the law: citizen's right to prevent disruption. PL943 (Rev 1) 1,331 
			 Rights to notice and reasons for dismissal (audiotape version). PL707 (Rev 13) 138 
			 PL833 (REV 6) Redundancy Consultation and Notification 10,810 
			 Limits on payments and awards. PL827 (Rev 8) 6,148 
			 Maternity leave changes: a basic summary. PL507 (Rev 3) 21,833 
			 Adoptive parents rights to leave and pay: a basic summary. PL515 (Rev 1) 14,154 
			 Paternity leave and pay: a basic summary. PL514 (Rev 1). 23,814 
			 Flexible working the right to request: a brief summary. PL516 (Rev 1) 24,298 
			 Continuous employment and a week's pay: rules for calculation. PL711 (Rev 8) 7,431 
			 Redundancy entitlement statutory rights: a guide for employees. PL808 (Rev 6) 28,733 
			 Individual rights of employees: a guide for employers and employees. PL716 (Rev 10) 7,477 
			 Maternity rights: a guide for employers and employees. Babies due on or after 6 April 2003. PL958 (Rev 9) 15,273 
			 Picketing. PL928 (Rev 1) 1,090 
			 The payment of union subscriptions through the check-off: a guide for employers, trade unions and their members, taking account of legislation up to and including the Deregulation (Deduction from Pay of Union Subscriptions) Order 1998. PL944 (Rev 1) 594 
			 Employment Rights (Dispute Resolution) Act 1998: a guide to its provisions 345 
			 Time off for dependants: a guide for employers and employees 8,441 
			 Offsetting pensions against redundancy payments: a guide for employers. RPL1 293 
			 Example form of a written statement of employment particulars. PL700A (Rev 1) 5,065 
			 A short guide to the working time regulations 16,096 
			 Your guide to the working time regulations: workers and employers. July 2003 7,537 
			 Working Time Regulations Rheoliadau Amser 0 
			 Your rights if your employer is insolvent: a guide for employers, employees and others. PL 718 (Rev 7) 45,215 
			 National minimum wage: a short guide for young workers. (Somali) 18 
			 The minimum wage and 'therapeutic work'. 0 
			 A detailed guide to the national minimum wage (October 2001 edition). PL501 6,361 
			 Isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol: canllaw byr I gyflogeion. (A short guide to the national minimum wage) 145 
			 Isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol: canllaw byr I gyflogwyr. (A short guide to the national minimum wage) 96 
			 National minimum wage: a short guide for employees 14,303 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Bengali) 254 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Chinese) 190 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Greek) 207 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Gujarati) 270 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Hindi) 248 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Punjabi) 259 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Somali) 162 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Turkish) 205 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Urdu) 218 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Vietnamese version) 219 
			 National minimum wage: a short guide for employers 12,467 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Bengali) 173 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Chinese) 133 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Greek) 120 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Gujarati) 170 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Hindi) 173 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Punjabi) 174 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Somali) 121 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Turkish) 120 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Urdu) 130 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Vietnamese) 173 
			 National minimum wage: a short guide for young workers. PL 519 190 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employees (Arabic) 163 
			 National minimum wage: A short guide for employers (Arabic) 123 
			 The minimum wage and therapeutic work. National minimum wage information note. PL508 (Rev 1) 564 
			 The minimum wage and therapeutic work (Large print) 0 
			 The minimum wage and therapeutic work (Braille) 11 
			 The minimum wage and therapeutic work (Audio cassette) 33 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Publications in italics will remain in hard copy format.
	Source:
	Extract from DTI Publications Full Title Usage Report 5 September 2003.

Employment Rights Advice Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) most regular users of her Department's distribution service and (b) the total number of employment rights booklets ordered by each such user in the most recent annual period for which information is available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following is a list of the organisations ordering the largest number of publications for the year ending 29 February 2004. Figures are for all booklets ordered by the organisation and not by subject matter.
	Annual figures on employment rights booklets ordered by organisations are not readily available and would not be cost effective to produce.
	
		Top 100 organisations ordering the highest number of publications from the DTI distribution centre
		
			 Addressnumber Organisation Total order quantity(29) 
		
		
			 558138 Bright Star Fireworks UK Ltd. 500,000 
			 414998 Amey 135,000 
			 326772 Redundancy Payments Service 111,515 
			 563898 TNT Fireworks UK Ltd. 100,000 
			 443440 Lewisham Fire Station 85,650 
			 471697 Clearview Imaging Services Ltd. 69,125 
			 473215 The Portergate 66,971 
			 480222 Trading Standards 59,695 
			 8813 Edinburgh RPO 58,948 
			 206669 Cosmic Fireworks 51,000 
			 439799 Quality Mark Scheme Helpdesk 50,876 
			 1315868 The Insolvency Service 48,003 
			 181100 Strathclyde Fire brigade HQ 45,010 
			 582195 Department of Trade and Industry 40,980 
			 607992 SGB Youngman 40,000 
			 518183 IWM 2003 Exhibition and Conference 34,172 
			 562459 Invest UK and Itu telecom World 33,193 
			 295514 Renault Printing Co Ltd. 30,000 
			 562496 HM Customs Excise 30,000 
			 483912 Employment Tribunals Service 25,020 
			 9106 ROSPA Info Centre 22,751 
			 343898 Anton Group 20,000 
			 139891 Department of Trade and Industry 20,000 
		
	
	(29) 31 January 2003 to 1 February 2004

Energy Services Working Group

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which members of the energy efficiency industry she has appointed to her Energy Services Working Group.

Stephen Timms: The Energy Services Working Group has now completed its work and submitted a final report to Ministers on 23 January. John Chesshire of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes was a member of the Group. Other members, apart from Government officials, were Nick Eyre of the Energy Saving Trust and representatives of all the major energy suppliers. Minutes of the meetings of the Group, together with papers presented to it and the interim and final reports are available on the DTI website at: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/environment/energy efficiency/eswg/shtml

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact she expects the EU emissions trading scheme to have on electricity prices.

Stephen Timms: The impact of the EU emissions trading scheme will depend on the price of carbon in the market and the extent to which this is passed through by generators. The Department has based its estimates on a carbon price in a range from Euros525/tonne of CO2. In the first phase of the scheme at least, from 2005 to 2007, the Department believes that the carbon price is more likely to be towards the bottom of the range. The electricity price increase corresponding to a carbon price of Euros5/tonne is estimated to be 3 per cent. for domestic customers and 6 per cent. for industrial customers.
	The Department commissioned ILEX Consulting to undertake work on the implications of the emissions trading scheme on the power sector. Their report can be found at: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/ilex report.pdf

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of her Department's interpretation of the EU emissions trading scheme on UK competitiveness.

Stephen Timms: The Department has considered carefully the implications of the EU emissions trading scheme for UK competitiveness in decisions on the overall cap. The expected impacts on energy costs and their effects on trade and the regions and countries of the UK have been published in the following document: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/euetsimplications.pdf
	We will keep this under review as national allocation plans of other member states become clearer.

Household Fuel Expenditure

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average proportion of household expenditure spent on household fuel was in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990, (e) 2000 and (f) 2003.

Stephen Timms: The average proportion of household expenditure spent on fuel in (a) 1995, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990, (e) 2000 and (f) 2003 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Household expenditure on fuel (Percentage) 
		
		
			 1975 5.5 
			 1980 5.6 
			 1985 6.2 
			 1990 4.5 
			 200001 3.1 
			 200203 2.9 
		
	
	Source:
	ONSFamily Expenditure Survey, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 200001.
	Expenditure and Food Survey from 200102.

Internet Access

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers she estimates (a) are unable to use and (b) do not have direct access to the internet.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The DTI's International Benchmarking Study (DBS) measures the use of ICT by business and is produced annually. The IBS 2003 found that:
	(a) 77 per cent. of ICT using organisations are completely or mostly content with their in-house ICT skills.
	(b) 10 per cent. of businesses do not have internet access.
	IBS results are weighted to reflect employee distribution. A copy of the 2003 study (URN 03/147) is available from the Libraries of the House.

Miners' Pension Funds

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she or one of her Ministers will meet ex-miners from the Lichfield constituency in London to discuss current arrangements for miners' pension funds in the next four months.

Stephen Timms: Issues relating to the current arrangements for the miners' pension funds are matters for the Schemes' Trustees.

Nanotechnology

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on nanotechnology; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The global market for nanotechnology is forecast to exceed $1,000 billion within the next decade and it is vital that the UK is a strong player in this market. My noble Friend the Minister for Science announced our investment of 90 million in our Micro and Nanotechnology Manufacturing Initiative in July 2003 to help industry harness the commercial opportunities offered by nanotechnology. 50 million will be spent on collaborative RD projects and 40 million on a new network of micro and nanotechnology facilities. This will help business build on the UK's excellent track record in small-scale science and win a share of this developing market. This activity will build on the substantial and wide ranging investment we are already making through the Research Councils. We expect to invest a further 100 million in our science base for nanotechnology based research over the next few years.
	In addition in December 2003 I launched the Innovation Report: Competing in the global economy: the innovation challenge, December 2003. This report describes a range of new DTI products to support technological innovation which are already being applied to support UK interests in nanotechnology.
	It is the policy of this Government to be open about our approach to new technologies, to acknowledge uncertainties and to ensure that the public are engaged in the decision making process. To address any potential concerns the Government commissioned the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to carry out an independent study to make sure we are able to benefit from the advances that nanotechnology promises with the right regulatory safeguards and protections in place. The study will also be used to inform policy on what safeguards might be required over and above existing legislation and guidance.

Nirex

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on long-term radioactive waste management of (a) the continued ownership of Nirex by the nuclear industry, (b) the ownership of Nirex by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and (c) a Nirex independent of the nuclear industry.

Stephen Timms: The Government have established the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) to advise it by the end of 2005 on the long-term management of the UK's higher activity wastes. Consideration of the arrangements for managing these wastes before receiving that advice would be premature.

Nirex

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings her Department has held with (a) BNFL and (b) British Energy to discuss the budget for Nirex.

Stephen Timms: The Department is in regular contact with BNFL and British Energy on a range of issues, including their shareholdings in Nirex.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any income accrued by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority from (a) the commercial reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and (b) Magnox power generation will be returned to the (i) decommissioning and (ii) clean-up of nuclear sites.

Stephen Timms: Yes. All such income will be received by Government and credited to the Nuclear Decommissioning Funding Account that will record the sums available to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Commercial income credited to the Account will be separately identified.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on plans to establish a Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Stephen Timms: Proposals to establish the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority were set out in the 2002 White Paper, 'Managing the Nuclear Legacy: A strategy for action', and are provided for in the Energy Bill, due to begin Report stage in the other place on 18 March.
	The Bill will be introduced in this House as soon as the legislative timetable permits. We hope the Bill will receive Royal Assent by July, and our goal remains to have an operational NDA in place by April next year.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had regarding the establishment of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Stephen Timms: The Government continue to engage in their proposals to establish the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) with a broad range of stakeholders, including industry, the regulators, local and regional government organisations, trades unions, Non-Governmental Organisations, suppliers and members of the public. Legislation to establish the NDA is under discussion in the other place.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  whether the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will accept new contracts for the commercial reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel once it assumes control of Thorp;
	(2)  what long-term future she envisages for the commercial reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the UK.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) on 11 September 2003, Official Report, column 385W.

Post Office

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of proposals for post office closures have been halted as a result of public consultation in the (a) West Midlands and (b) UK.

Stephen Timms: Decisions on post office closure proposals following public consultation are an operational matter for Post Office and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Post Office

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the (a) consultation and (b) decision-making process involved in the Post Office Network Reinvention programme.

Stephen Timms: In the light of concerns expressed by Members of Parliament, and following discussions with Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch, I announced changes to the consultation arrangements for urban reinvention post office closure proposals in my written statement of 5 February. Following public consultation, decisions on post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.

Post Office

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she can introduce to stop Tesco closing post offices as a result of the takeover of one-stop convenience stores, with particular reference to the one-stop convenience store in Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 8 March 2004
	None. Any decision by Tesco to remove a post office from one of its TS convenience stores is a commercial matter for the company. Tesco has however committed to giving six months notice of its intention to do so to Post Office Ltd., allowing it the opportunity to find alternative partners to continue to offer post office services in close proximity to the existing location, and to working with all parties to seek a smooth changeover process for customers in the area.
	I understand that Tesco has recently given notice of its intention to discontinue post office services from its Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne store and that Post Office Ltd. is now actively engaged in seeking an alternative location in the vicinity.

Postwatch

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total amount of money allocated to Postwatch is in 200203.

Stephen Timms: The total amount of money allocated is 8.19 million.

Postwatch

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the duties are of Postwatch; and to whom it is responsible.

Stephen Timms: The Consumer Council for Postal Services also known as Postwatch was established to represent the user interests in postal services. Its functions are laid down in the Postal Services Act 2000; and it is responsible to the Secretary of State.

Product Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many deaths were caused by products classified by her Department as unsafe in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not available.

Product Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many products were banned from sale on safety grounds in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many of the products banned from sale on safety grounds were recalled by the manufacturer in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In 1996 the Department made emergency regulations under section 11(5) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to ban the supply of certain fireworks to the general public. This ban was carried forward in permanent regulationsThe Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997which banned the sale of a range of fireworks.
	In 2003 the Department issued prohibition Notices under the 1987 Act against six suppliers of Yo Balls because the posed a risk of strangulation to children.
	In neither case were the affected products recalled by their manufacturers. However, the publicity surrounding the bans will have alerted consumers to the dangers presented by these products.

Product Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations she has received from (a) consumers organisations and (b) industry on the EU Directive on General Product Safety;
	(2)  for what reason the Government has not yet implemented the EU Directive on General Product Safety; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department invited views from consumer organisations, industry and the enforcement community on a number of policy issues concerning transposition of the revised General Product Safety Directive in an initial public consultation during the period from November 2001 to March 2002. A copy of the consultation document and a summary of the responses is available on the Department's website at www. dti.gov.uk/ccp/archive/pdf/gpsdcon.pdf and www.dti. gov.uk/ccp/archive/pdf/gpsdsumm.pdf respectively.
	The consultation identified differing views on key issues in complex policy areas including how to handle mandatory product recall, on which we have held a number of stakeholder meetings. We want to ensure that the system we employ for recalling products will have the confidence of all parties and be effective in providing better protection for consumers from dangerous products.

Rover Task Force

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of the Rover Task Force Modernisation and Diversification programme has been to the Small Business Service in each of the last five years.

Patricia Hewitt: The Rover Task Force was established early in 2000, led by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the right hon. Member for North Tyneside (Mr. Byers). The Task Force considered how both the region's automotive supply chain could be supported, and how the region's manufacturing base could be helped to modernise and diversify.
	A package of funding for business support and regeneration of 129 million was agreed. 31 million of that figure was administered by the SBS as part of the Modernisation and diversification programme. The funding package of the Rover Task Group is invested in the automotive supply chain. No funding is provided direct to MG Rover itself.
	To date a total of 1,600 businesses have been assisted by the Taskforce and 3,000 jobs have been safeguarded or created.

Temporary Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 200102, (b) 200203 and (c) 200304 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Patricia Hewitt: The number of temporary staff engaged by DTI fluctuates through the year, but on average we have approximately 450 temporary staff per annum, which represents 9 per cent. of our current workforce. The cost of employing these agency staff over the last three financial years was 200102 4,865K, 200203 6,654K and 200304 5,223K.

Tesco

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will recommend to the Office of Fair Trading that it judges the Tesco Adminstore merger on the basis of Tesco's share of the overall grocery market;
	(2)  if she will direct the Office of Fair Trading to refer Tesco's proposed acquisition of Adminstore to the Competition Commission on the grounds of public interest considerations of the socio-economic consequences of further consolidation of the grocery market;
	(3)  if she will recommend that the Office of Fair Trading refer Tesco's proposed acquisition of Adminstore to the Competition Commission.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The independent competition authorities (the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission) are responsible under the Enterprise Act 2002 for decision making in merger cases against a specific competition-focused test. The Office of Fair Trading announced on 5 March that it was not referring to the Competition Commission the anticipated acquisition by Tesco Plc of 45 grocery stores from Adminstore Ltd. It would not have been appropriate for Ministers to try to influence the Office of Fair Trading in carrying out its independent function by seeking to direct it in any aspect of its consideration of this case.
	The Enterprise Act does not allow my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to intervene on existing or new public interest grounds in cases where the OFT has already announced its decision on reference to the Competition Commission.

HEALTH

Acute Mental Illness Beds

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute mental illness beds were available for (a) the elderly, (b) children and (c) other age groups in Lancashire Mental Health Trust in each of the last three years; and how many were in secure units.

Melanie Johnson: The Lancashire Care National Health Service Trust was formed on 1 April 2002. Data are not available for this trust prior to that date. The available data, for the year 200203, are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Mental illness: children  
			 Short stay  
			 Long stay  
			   
			 Mental illness: elderly  
			 Short stay 227 
			 Long stay 170 
			   
			 Mental illness: other ages  
			 Secure unit 70 
			 Short stay 393 
			 Long stay  
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health returns.

Ambulances

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2004, Official Report, column 328W, on ambulances, whether the periodic refresher training refers to (a) specialist driving training and (b) other forms of training relevant to the job of ambulance technician.

Rosie Winterton: Individual national health service trusts are responsible for ensuring that staff receive any training necessary to maintain driving proficiency standards. In addition, maintaining staffs proficiency in all other aspects of their work is also the responsibility of every trust.

Ambulances

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2004, Official Report, column 328W, on ambulances, if he will place in the Library copies of the proficiency standards and national syllabus.

Rosie Winterton: A copy of the driver training manual has been placed in the Library.

Ambulances

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2004, Official Report, column 329W, on ambulances, whether there is a mandatory requirement for specialist driver training at an accredited driver training school.

Rosie Winterton: The training of their staff is a matter for each individual national health service ambulance trust. We would expect them to take account of national recommendations and requirements. Driver instructors are trained and qualified to a United Kingdom standard approved by the Institute of Healthcare Development.

Asthmatics (Aspirin)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to highlight the risk to asthmatics from taking aspirin.

Stephen Ladyman: All licensed aspirin products available over the counter currently have label warnings and/or patient information leaflets advising patients with previous asthma (especially after taking aspirin) not to take the product or to consult their doctor before use.
	Labels and patient information leaflets advise patients with known allergy to aspirin not to take aspirin containing products.

Infant Formula

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being taken to tighten the implementation of the World Health Organisation code in the United Kingdom to prohibit aggressive Infant Formula marketing strategies.

Melanie Johnson: In line with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, advertising of infant formulas directly to the general public is already prohibited by the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations. Enforcement of these regulations is carried out by local authorities.

Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money Essex Social Services Department had to pay in fines under the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003 from when it came into operation to 29 February.

Stephen Ladyman: Essex Social Services Department arranged local investment agreements with the national health service in line with levels of delay for September 2003 and will only pay charges once they exceed this level of investment.

Dementia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of providing free domestic and residential nursing and personal care for people suffering from (a) Alzheimer's Disease and (b) other forms of dementia.

Stephen Ladyman: Since April 2003, anyone in a care home with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia who requires care from a registered nurse will have received either direct national health service nursing care from the community nursing service or NHS funded nursing care.
	The estimated cost of providing free personal care for people with Alzheimer's (approximately 30 per cent., of care home residents) would be somewhere in the region of 500 million. The estimated cost of providing free personal care for people with dementia, including Alzheimer's (around 60 per cent. of care home residents), would be somewhere in the region of 1 billion.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding NHS dentists who only accept NHS registrations of children if their parents register privately; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not collected on the number of dentists accepting only certain categories of patients. However, very few dental practices have only children registered as national health service patients.
	Dentists working in the general dental service are self-employed independent contractors providing dental services. Under current arrangements dentists can practice wherever they like, as there are no restrictions. They are free to accept as many or as few NHS patients as they wish and can alter their NHS commitment without reference to the primary care trust (PCT). They can quite legally accept only certain categories of patients (for example, children).
	Under the provisions in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, PCTs will assume responsibility for dental services in this area. With these new responsibilities will go the financial resources currently held centrally, which by 200506 are expected to total nearly 1.5 billion. The new arrangements will give the NHS greater control locally enabling it to match services to local need. They will underpin a modernised, high-quality primary dental service provided through new contracts between PCTs and dental practices and properly integrated with the rest of the NHS.

Dentistry

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage more applicants for dentistry degrees.

Rosie Winterton: Dentistry is already a popular choice for A-level students, with nearly two applications received for every place available in dental schools. In 2002, the NHS Careers service was extended to provide information to the public on careers in dentistry and, earlier this year, we published a new NHS Careers brochure, Dental Care in the NHS, which has been distributed to schools, further education colleges, youth employment advisers and other agencies working with young people. Copies will be placed in the Library.

Disability Discrimination Act

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to prepare health service providers for the implementation of the parts of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which come into effect later this year.

Stephen Ladyman: National health service organisations are responsible for their own compliance with the new (and existing) provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. The Department of Health is, however, working in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission on a range of measures to support the NHS in assessing and improving progress on disability access. These measures include, for example, ensuring that core practical guidance is readily available to the NHS and contributing to the development of health sector-specific guidance being produced by the Disability Rights Commission.

Food Supplements

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) public and (b) professional consultation has been undertaken on which vitamins and supplements are used regularly in the UK in connection with preparing for the EU's Food Supplements Directive.

Melanie Johnson: During negotiations on Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements and when drafting the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, the Food Standards Agency consulted publicly with a wide range of stakeholders. The results of those consultations are summarised in the Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Regulations, which is available in the Library.

Food Supplements

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department has contributed to the discussions at EU level on vitamins and supplements being placed on the EU's positive list.

Melanie Johnson: Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements includes in its Annexes 'positive lists' defining the vitamins and minerals that may be included in food supplements as well as the range of forms (chemical sources) of vitamins and minerals which may be used in such products. Substances on the positive lists have been assessed for safety and bio-availability by the former Scientific Committee for Food and more substances may be added to the lists following submission of dossiers of information supporting their use.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) secured a valuable meeting between representatives of United Kingdom food supplements manufacturers and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 14 October 2003 to discuss dossier requirements, and has disseminated EFSA's advice to interested parties. Furthermore, the FSA has expressed its willingness to provide further advice to industry on dossier production if required.

Illegal Drugs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible link between illegal drug use and the development of psychosis later in life; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Recent research of note in this area has explored whether there is any causative link between early cannabis use and later development of psychosis, but such a link has not been conclusively proven. However, the recent epidemiological research on the issue of earlier use of cannabis and risk of later development of schizophrenia, 'schizophrenic symptoms' and 'schizophreniform disorder' has shown a stronger association than was previously evident from published studies. The British Medical Journal editorial accompanying the publication of key research papers in November 2002 concluded that:
	whether the use of cannabis triggers the onset of schizophrenia or depression in otherwise vulnerable people or whether it actually causes these conditions in non-predisposed people is not yet resolved.
	While a number of illegal drugs, particularly amphetamines and cocaine (and to a lesser degree cannabis), are well-recognised in causing short-lived psychotic symptoms and signs there is no conclusive proof of causation of psychosis in later life. It is difficult to exclude confounding factors in carrying out such long-term research on, where such drug use would also be only one of a number of risk factors. It is also difficult to differentiate the role of such drugs in possibly precipitating psychosis in a pre-disposed individual from causation in someone not otherwise pre-disposed.
	The Department has commissioned the National Addiction Centre to review the evidence regarding the harmful effects of drugs of abuse and this is published as a Department of Health document, Dangerousness of drugs (2003). This describes a wide range of harmful effects of illegal drugs. A copy is available in the Library.
	It is widely recommended by clinicians that anyone at risk of psychosis should avoid any drugs that can cause acute psychotic symptoms.
	The Department continues to monitor research in this area and has a range of expert advisors to continue to inform policy.

Low Fat Diets

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on low fat diets free from animal products.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has not commissioned or evaluated research on low fat diets free from animal products. The Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford) has been supported by Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council and the Europe Against Cancer Programme of the Commission of the European Community. Findings from EPIC-Oxford data have shown that diets free from animal products are associated with lower levels of obesity than diets which include meat. The Medical Research Council spent 17.1 million in 200102 on nutrition research.

Mental Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 February 2004, Official Report, column 688W, on mental health, how many of the 700 carer support workers are (a) new staff and (b) existing staff with expanded or adapted roles; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The commitment to recruit 700 carer support workers by 2004 to increase the breaks available for carers, and to strengthen carer support networks is part of the Priorities and Planning Framework 200306 which identified the targets set for services in the three year period.
	Recruitment is a local responsibility. We cannot say whether the 700 carer support workers will all be additional to existing national health service staff. Guidance on developing carer support services was published in 2002.

Nebulisers

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of nebulisers for NHS patients on prescription.

Rosie Winterton: Nebulisers are not available on national health service prescription. It is long-standing policy that such items should be loaned to patients from specialist NHS services.

Nursing Homes

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to continue the use of lay assessors in the monitoring of quality of nursing and care homes.

Stephen Ladyman: This will be a matter for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), a new non-departmental public body, which will be operational from 1 April 2004. The CSCI will be reviewing how it works with lay assessors in due course.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

Rosie Winterton: Between 1 January 2003 and 27 February 2004, 8,058 ordinary written and 1,458 named day parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department of Health.
	Using the information readily available the average time taken to answer an ordinary written parliamentary question was 15.5 calendar days; and approximately 30 per cent. of named day parliamentary questions received an answer by the specified date.
	The Department strives to answer right hon. and hon. Members' questions in a timely and helpful fashion and is currently seeking to improve performance.

Patient Forums

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) assessment he has made and (b) representations he has received on the impact of benefits rules on the participation of disabled people in patient forums.

Rosie Winterton: We have not received any representations about the impact of the benefit rules on the participation of disabled people in patients forums and no assessment of the impact has been made.

Processed Meals

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the level of consumption of processed meals; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has not commissioned research into the level of consumption of processed meals. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey programme is a joint initiative between the Department and the Food Standards Agency. The survey covers consumption of different food types by individuals, including processed products such as breakfast cereals and baked beans.
	The Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) is commissioned jointly by the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Results from EFS presented in the report, Family Food in 200102, show that consumption of meat-based ready meals, including takeaways consumed in the household, increased by 15 per cent. in comparison to 200001, which represents a 70 per cent. increase compared to 199697. The report is available on the Defra website at http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/.

Psychiatric Wards (Delayed Discharges)

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend arrangements for charging social services departments for delayed discharges from psychiatric wards.

Stephen Ladyman: We intend to extend the system of reimbursement for delayed discharges to all hospital patients in a phased way, based on a consideration of the benefits for each group of patients. However, further parliamentary debate would be required to extend the scope to include mental health patients.

Restructuring and Change Programme

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1699W, on the Restructuring and Change programme, how many of the 1,400 staff will (a) be made redundant, (b) retire and (c) be lost due to natural wastage.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 2 March 2004
	The number of staff who will be made redundant is not yet known. It will be determined by the levels of natural wastage, the take-up of any voluntary early severance/retirement scheme and the extent to which it is possible to re-deploy staff in the civil service.

Restructuring and Change Programme

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answers of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1699W, and 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 297W, on the restructuring and change programme, how many of the 1,400 staff will be redeployed or transferred to departmental arm's length bodies or agencies.

Rosie Winterton: We estimate that 415 posts will transfer to the departmental arm's length bodies.

Social Workers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets his Department has set for recruitment of social workers.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department's national planning guideline is to recruit an additional 50,000 whole time equivalent people into the social care workforce, which includes 5,000 social workers by 200506.
	As an incentive to train as a social worker, a bursary is available to all students who are not supported by their employer. The introduction of a degree in social work will also help to make this a more attractive career choice.

Step Change

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the review of Step Change will occur; and how long the review will take;
	(2)  whether the review of Step Change will be made public; and who will consider its findings.

Melanie Johnson: A ministerial committee has been set up to co-ordinate policy on imports of animals, plants, fish and their products, which will include a review of the Step Change. The timing of the review, and how it is publicised, are matters for the committee to decide.

Subutex

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the use of Subutex in drugs treatment.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 9 February 2004
	Subutex is licensed for use in the treatment of opiate dependency, which is included in the clinical guidelines on the management of drug misuse and dependence issued by the Department in 1999. The Department has also made it possible for doctors to prescribe Subutex for instalment dispensing, to ensure there is no disincentive for its use as compared to methadone. While there are recognised advantages, there are also disadvantages to its use. There is a clear risk of Subutex being abused by injection. Methadone liquid appears more suitable for severely dependent opiate addicts. It is for clinicians to determine the appropriate use of Subutex for patients.

Westminster Hall

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to have senior Ministers reply to debates in Westminster Hall.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons on Monday 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1234W.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Council of the Isles

Paul Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Council of the Isles last met; and when it will next meet.

Christopher Leslie: The Council of the Isles is known as the British-Irish Council. The Council last met on 28 November 2003 at a Summit at St. Fagans in Cardiff. The Council next meet in July for ministerial level meetings to discuss the Environment and Social Inclusion sectoral work strands. The next Summit is planned for autumn 2004 in Guernsey.

Departmental Communications

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total expenditure on communications for his Department has been in 200304, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others.

David Lammy: The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), which includes its agenciesthe Court Service and the Public Guardianship Office (PGO)employs 60 staff in communications work. This figure comprises 24 staff of the Government Information and Communication Service (GICS) and 36 others.
	
		
			  Amount () 
		
		
			  Department for constitutional affairs HQ 
			 (a) GICS 918,187 
			 (b) Other staff  
			 (i) Press officers(30) 35,232 
			 (ii) Special advisers (31) 
			 (iii) Others 351,979 
			   
			 Court service  
			 (a) GICS 0 
			 (b) Other staff  
			 (i) Press officers 0 
			 (ii) Special advisers 0 
			 (iii) Others 603,185 
			   
			 Public Guardianship Office  
			 (a) GICS 0 
			 (b) Other staff  
			 (i) Press officers(30) 63,150 
			 (ii) Special advisers 0 
			 (iii) Others 80,525 
		
	
	(30) Non GICS.
	(31) The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of Special Advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 200304 will be published in due course.
	Notes:
	1. All figures include forecast expenditure for February and March 200304.
	2. 'Others' includes staff working on publications, publicity, internal communications, websites and administration.

Election Turnouts

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the (a) lowest and (b) highest turnout in a local authority election was in the last five years.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	Turnout at local authority elections is not recorded centrally and the specific figures requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However a source of information that may be useful to the hon. Member is the Local Elections Handbook which is published annually by the Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre at the University of Plymouth which contains turnout figures for local authority elections.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is regarding the role that former Taliban members should play in the future government of Afghanistan; and what his policy is regarding proposals for an amnesty for those Taliban members deemed no longer to constitute a terrorist threat.

Jack Straw: holding answer 10 March 2004
	The UK believes that national reconciliation is an important element in the process of rebuilding Afghanistan. It must be an Afghan-led process and one which is transparent. We would oppose the rehabilitation of the Taliban's senior leadership. Taliban who were involved in war crimes, terrorism, or engaged in violent opposition to the Coalition or the Bonn Process, should be brought to justice. The treatment of other former Taliban who no longer constitute a threat is a matter for the Afghan authorities.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Government have made of the progress needed on security for elections to proceed in Afghanistan on 30 June; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Security will be one of the key ingredients in facilitating successful and credible elections, including the electoral registration process currently underway. It is for the Afghan Government to lead on ensuring the elections are held in a secure environment. But they will require international support and assistance. Security is already being provided for the voter registration process. The Afghan Transitional Administration are also working with the United Nations, the International Security Assistance Force (led by NATO), and the US-led Coalition to put the necessary security structures in place for the elections themselves. No date has yet been announced for elections to be held.

Afghanistan

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Department is taking to support the UN plan to hold elections in Afghanistan this summer.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has committed 9 million to supporting the UN preparations for elections. Of this 9 million, 3 million has already been dispersed. The UK is also encouraging other donors to contribute to supporting preparations for the elections through funding, and through providing resources to the International Security Assistance Force to enable it to support the Afghan government in providing security for the elections.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the UK is giving to British businesses considering investing in Afghanistan; and what discussions he has had regarding the underwriting of risk for such businesses.

Jack Straw: The Government, through UK Trade and Investment and the British embassy in Kabul provides direct assistance and advice on local business conditions including security advice to businesses wishing to invest in Afghanistan.
	Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) is currently unable to offer political risk insurance to UK companies investing in Afghanistan under its Overseas Investment Insurance scheme. ECGD judge that the political and economic situation in Afghanistan is too unstable to allow them to provide such cover. ECGD is however monitoring developments in Afghanistan and expects to conduct a market review in the latter part of 2004, following the proposed elections late this year.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many additional (a) soldiers and (b) officials the Government are planning to send to Afghanistan to ensure stability in the build up to and during the proposed elections in that country.

Jack Straw: It is the responsibility of the Afghan Transitional Administration to provide security for the forthcoming elections. The UK is supporting the election preparations through funding of 10.4 million for the UN electoral preparations plan and through the role of the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Mazar-e Sharif. The Mazar-e Sharif PRT has 90 British soldiers.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 7 February 2004 that the UK would support NATO efforts to play a wider role in Afghanistan by increasing support to PRTs (a copy of which is available at www.securityconference.de conferences2004speechesHoon,Geoffrey). The number of British soldiers likely to be involved has not yet been finalised. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is also considering a role in support of the elections. The UK currently contributes 350 soldiers to ISAF but no decision has been made on possible future contributions.
	The UK is also supporting the EU Commission's intention to send a team of election observers to Afghanistan, and is currently funding an expert to participate in the ongoing EU exploratory mission on election observation, with a particular focus on women's participation in the elections.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the 15 May Bishkek Conference on stability in Afghanistan; and what discussions he has had with other governments regarding the conference.

Jack Straw: We welcome the proposal to hold a conference in Bishkek, involving Afghanistan and other countries in the region. Closer co-operation on trade, development and efforts to tackle illegal activities such as narcotics production and trafficking will enhance stability in the region. The conference will complement the regional commitment to the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration signed in December 2002, and the related Declaration on Trade, Transit and Investment and Counter-Narcotics signed in September 2003.
	We regularly discuss a wide range of issues concerning Afghanistan, including regional co-operation, with other governments and international organisations.

Burundi

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department is taking to support the Arusha Accord, with particular reference to the stipulation within the Accord for elections to take place before the end of October.

Chris Mullin: The UK strongly supports the Arusha accord and has provided political and financial support to Burundi since the Accord was signed in 2000. In financial year 200304, the UK has made 11.6 million available for Burundi. We provided 3.7 million to supply equipment to the Mozambican contingent of the African Mission in Burundi.
	We recognise that there are many issues which need addressing before elections can be held satisfactorily and continue to encourage the government of Burundi to work to resolve them.

Butler Committee

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many individuals have expressed an interest in submitting evidence to the Butler Committee on intelligence; and how many independent submissions have been received to date.

Bill Rammell: This is a matter for the Butler Review Committee.

Chad

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Chad over the level of forced migration into Chad from the Sudan.

Chris Mullin: Our embassy in Khartoum has discussed the conflict in Darfur with the Chadian embassy in Khartoum. We are also in close contact with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva and their field teams in eastern Chad. The Department for International Development is one of the largest donors to UNHCR operations in Chad for Sudanese refugees, having provided 1 million in October 2003 in response to the initial US$16 million appeal.

Colombia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the EU Commissioner for external relations regarding the Colombian Government's democratic security policies and Colombia's compliance with UN human rights recommendations; and if he will make a statement on areas of disagreement between the UK Government and the Commissioner.

Bill Rammell: We followed closely the recent visit to Colombia of the EU Commissioner for External Relations which took place in January. We have no differences in view with the Commissioner about Colombia. The EU's latest position on Colombiawith which the UK is fully alignedwas set out in Conclusions of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of 26 January, following the Commissioner's visit.

Colombia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government will take in response to non-compliance of the Colombian Government with UN human rights recommendations.

Bill Rammell: The British Government keep in close touch with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Colombia and we take careful note of the matters raised in relevant UN reports on the situation in Colombia. The recommendations of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights remain a key issue for follow up to the London Declaration of July 2003. The UK and its EU partners have made clear to the Colombian Government the importance of progress on these areas. We await the next Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Colombia which is due to be published shortly. Its conclusions will assist the UK, the EU and the rest of the international community to focus on priority areas where further progress is needed.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 10 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to M. Sam.

Chris Mullin: I refer my right hon. Friend to my answers of 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1107W, and 6 January 2004, Official Report, columns 24041W. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter on 16 December 2003.

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a Sustainable Procurement policy which promotes the purchase of recycled products (such as paper and toner cartridges); sustainably grown timber for construction and office furniture; and fair trade goods (such as coffee, tea and chocolate) for sale in the FCO restaurants and shop. We ensure that FCO contracts include environmental requirements. We are for example currently considering with potential suppliers if our existing computer printers, photocopiers and fax equipment can be replaced with more energy-efficient multifunctional devices. We also buy green electricity which supports the development of renewable energy sources.

European Union

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on reform of the EU's institutions to make enlargement work.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with our European Colleagues on developments in the European Union, including on institutional issues. The Irish Presidency will report back to the European Council on 2526 March 2004 on its assessment of the prospects for progress in the Intergovernmental Conference, on the basis of its consultations with member states.

European Union

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being considered in the context of the Intergovernmental Conference to reform the working of the EU to make it more (a) effective and (b) accountable.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to Cm5934, the Government's White Paper on their approach to the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC). Chapter IV (The Convention Outcome and Detailed Issues of the IGC, especially paragraph 42) sets out details of a number of measures under consideration in the IGC designed to make the EU more effective and accountable. Copies of the paper are available in the Library of the House.

Falkland Islands

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the sustainability of the economy of the Falkland Islands.

Bill Rammell: Through careful management of its fishery industry, the Falkland Island Government generates over 20 million per annum in licence fees. Other sectors such as agricultural production also remain important. The Falklands economy has grown rapidly since 1982 and the Falkland Island Government continues to work to ensure that it remains diverse and sustainable for the future. This includes the continued development of sectors such as tourism and mineral resources. With the exception of defence costs, the Falkland Islands receive no grant in aid from Her Majesty's Government.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money his Department has spent on the tercentenary celebrations in Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: At this early stage in Gibraltar's tercentenary year, Foreign and Commonwealth Office expenditure on tercentenary events has been limited to the cost of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff time devoted to the issue.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role he has agreed with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will play in the tercentenary celebrations.

Denis MacShane: This is a matter for the Gibraltar Government.

International Criminal Court

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the operation to date of the International Criminal Court.

Bill Rammell: The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established by the Rome Statute, which entered into force on 1 July 2002. Work began shortly afterwards to prepare for the appointment of officials to the court's three main organs; the chambers (comprising 18 judges), the Office of the Prosecutor and the Registry.
	The judges were subsequently elected in February 2003, the Prosecutor (Luis Moreno Ocampo, Argentina) was elected in April 2003 and the Registrar (Bruno Cathala, France) was elected in June 2003. The court opened for business with the swearing in of the prosecutor on 16 June 2003 followed by the swearing in of a Deputy Prosecutor (Serge Brammertz, Belgium) on 3 November 2003.
	The prosecutor has yet to start his first formal investigation. He has been conducting preliminary examinations into the situations in Ituri (Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) and northern Uganda. In December 2003, the Ugandan Government referred the situation in northern Uganda to the ICC. The prosecutor then announced in January 2004 that he would consider that situation further in order to determine whether to proceed with a formal investigation.
	The UK is fully committed to supporting the ICC and is engaged in dialogue with the court at official level to consider ways of providing effective practical support.

Iran

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Iranian Government regarding the closure of the Yas-e-no and Sharq newspapers.

Bill Rammell: We have not discussed the closure of these two newspapers in particular. But we have on many occasions made clear our concern at restrictions on free expression in Iran. The Iranian Government's failure over recent months to agree dates in early March for the regular meeting of the EU/Iran human rights dialogue has deprived the EU of a channel through which concerns on matters such as this would normally be raised. We regret that Yas-e no remains closed; Sharq reopened on 28 February.

Israel

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom regards Israel as being in the possession of a deployable nuclear arsenal.

Denis MacShane: We have regularly made clear that Israel should resolve international speculation about its nuclear programme by acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state and by signing a nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, thus opening up its facilities to international inspection.

Kenny Richey

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Administration about the case of Kenny Richey.

Chris Mullin: We are in touch with Mr. Richey's lawyers both in the USA and the UK, as well as with Ohio State officials. We continue to monitor his case closely to determine what representations might be made on his behalf, and the appropriate time to make them, and will do all we properly can to try to prevent Mr. Richey's execution.

Maldives

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the arrests of members of the Maldivian Democratic Party on 13 February by the Maldivian authorities; and on the extent to which human rights are protected in the Maldives.

Mike O'Brien: We are aware that the Maldivian authorities arrested an unconfirmed number of people in the capital Mal on 13 February in advance of a demonstration planned for 14 February by those sympathetic to the Maldivian Democratic Party. We look to the Government of the Maldives to charge those arrested promptly, in accordance with local law, or to release them. We have concerns about the protection of human rights in the Maldives, including the right of freedom of expression. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Government of the Maldives.

Middle East

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Palestinian Authority's policy towards security and terrorism.

Bill Rammell: The Palestinian Authority can do more to control Palestinian terrorist groups and improve security for both Israelis and Palestinians. We are in close touch with them about how to achieve this.

Middle East

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made regarding the Al-Aqsa Brigade and Fatah and responsibility for terrorist attacks.

Bill Rammell: We have no reason to doubt the Al-Aqsa Brigades' claims of responsibility for a number of terror attacks. While they proclaim their loyalty to Fatah, we do not judge that these attacks are sanctioned or approved by the Fatah leadership.

Morocco

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Morocco concerning Ali Salem Tamek.

Bill Rammell: Officials and Ministers regularly call upon the parties to the Western Sahara dispute to take action on human rights issues.
	We have in the past brought our concerns about the case of Ali Salem Tamek to the attention of the Moroccan authorities. Ali Salem Tamek was released from custody in January 2004. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and will take action with the appropriate authorities where necessary.

Morocco

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) security situation in Western Sahara and (b) impact of Moroccan migration into the territory.

Bill Rammell: The UN-monitored ceasefire in Western Sahara has held for over a decade and the security situation remains stable.
	Demographic changes in Western Sahara have been a factor in all the proposals on the future of the territory. We continue to urge all parties to engage flexibly with the UN Secretary-General and his personal representative, James Baker III.

Nuclear Materials

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding the United Kingdom has provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency's nuclear materials tracking programme in each year since 2001.

Denis MacShane: The UK has contributed a total of 750,000 to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Nuclear Security Fund. This has been contributed at a flat rate of 250,000 per annum in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Polisario Front

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent release of Moroccan prisoners of war by the Polisario Front; and if he will make a statement on the Sahrawis that have yet to be accounted for.

Bill Rammell: We welcome the recent release of 100 Moroccan prisoners of war by the Polisario front and urge the Polisario to release the 513 remaining prisoners in their custody without delay.
	We have encouraged all parties to co-operate with the International Committee of the Red Cross to account for those missing in the conflict.

Russia

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what formal consultation has been undertaken by his Department on the Sakhalin II phase 2 oil and gas project.

Bill Rammell: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD), under the supervision of my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment leads on the formal aspects of the consultation process, including on environmental issues. However, due to the role that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office fulfils in supporting export promotion, we have also been closely involved in discussion of this project with the ECGD, DEFRA, UK Trade and Investment and the DTI, as well as Shell.

Tibet

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet the Dalai Lama during his forthcoming visit to the UK.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary intends to meet the Dalai Lama during the latter's visit to the UK.

United Nations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information has been provided by Her Majesty's Government to the Secretary-General of the United Nations pursuant to paragraph 2 of the General Assembly resolution 58/48; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Government have not so far written to inform the UN Secretary-General of the extensive measures which the UK has put in place to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and related technologies. The Government have, however, included much relevant information in their reports to the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, available on the UN website at www.un.org.

United Nations

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on reform of the UN.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to my statement on UN reform on 11 September 2003, Official Report, columns 13947WH, and the United Kingdom in the United Nations Command Paper (Cmnd 5898) published in September 2003, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The Government are firmly committed to reform of the United Nations. As an active UN member, the UK conducts regular exchanges with the UN and other member states on reform. We are working to create a more efficient United Nations better equipped to meet the challenges of the modern world and deliver the objectives established in the Millennium Declaration. We support the work of the Secretary-General's High Level Panel which is looking into threats to peace and security and the UN response to them.

Visa Applications

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications to British consulates in (a) Slovakia, (b) Turkey and (c) Croatia were (i) received and (ii) processed in each year since 1990.

Chris Mullin: The following table shows figures for the number of entry clearance applications received and resolved in Slovakia, Turkey and Croatia since 1997. Figures for the years before 1997 are not readily available.
	
		
			   Slovakia  Turkey  Croatia 
			  Received Resolved Received Resolved Received Resolved 
		
		
			 1997 401 369 65,056 60,528 841 851 
			 1998 6,082 5,548 67,868 64,865 342 336 
			 1999 22,838 19,700 63,565 46,596 2,435 2,354 
			 2000 22,270 21,436 68,638 64,516 13,490 13,489 
			 200102 20,051 18,226 54,086 50,524 13,988 13,892 
			 200203 22,419 21,742 63,493 62,326 15,304 15,317 
		
	
	Since 2001, statistics have been collated by financial year (1 April to 31 March) rather than calendar year.
	The numbers of applications received and resolved do not always tally. Applications that are recorded as being received in one accounting period may be carried forward for resolution in the next. It is therefore possible to resolve more applications during a period than were received for the same period. Figures show that fewer applications tend to be resolved than received. The method of recording the statistics accounts for this: a mother and three children on one passport may count as four applications received, but only one entry clearance resolved. Also, some applications will be counted as received that are subsequently withdrawn and therefore not counted as resolved.
	Visa regimes were imposed on Slovakia on 8 October 1998, on Turkey on 23 June 1989 and on Croatia on 19 November 1999. The visa regime on Slovakia was lifted on 18 December 2003.

Zimbabwe

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action can be taken against UK national companies involved in business with Zimbabwean companies classed as SDNs under United States Executive Order 13288; if he will make a statement on the extension of EU sanctions to include such measures; and when he expects EU sanctions to match those of the US.

Jack Straw: On 21 February 2004 the EU's restrictive measures were renewed and extended to a larger number of Zimbabwean individuals who are responsible for policies that lead to the suppression of human rights, of the freedom of expression and of good governance. One of the measures is an assets freeze against a new list of 95 individuals. The US has similar measures against only 77 individuals. It would therefore be a backward step for the EU's measures to match those of the US in this regard.
	On 3 March, the US announced that it was also freezing the assets of seven companies, controlled by three of Mugabe's closest confidantesInformation Minister Moyo, Speaker Mnangagwa and ex-Army Chief Zvinavashe. The UK and EU have already frozen the identifiable assets of those individuals. The EU measures target individuals, not companies. The UK and other member states have taken the view that targeting companies risks harming ordinary Zimbabweans who are already suffering under the present regime.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Adjudication Panel

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many cases have been referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board for England in each month since its establishment; how many have been determined; how many have yet to be determined; how many of the cases relate wholly to a failure of a member of a parish council to complete the council's Register of Member Interests; if he will list the complaints made in the remaining cases; and what the decision of the Adjudication Panel was in the determined cases.

Nick Raynsford: A total of 195 cases have been referred to the Adjudication Panel for England between October 2002 and February this year. Of those 173 have been determined. The remaining 22 cases have yet to be determined. The following table shows the breakdown by month:
	
		
			  Number of cases 
		
		
			 2002  
			 October 1 
			 November 19 
			 December 25 
			 Total 45 
			   
			 2003  
			 January 15 
			 February 38 
			 March 13 
			 April 9 
			 May 26 
			 June 10 
			 July 4 
			 August 2 
			 September 11 
			 October 7 
			 November 0 
			 December 7 
			 Total 142 
			   
			 2004  
			 January 0 
			 February 8 
			 Total 8 
		
	
	128 cases related to breaches of the requirement to complete the Register of Interests by Parish Councillors. The following table shows the type of complaint made in the remaining cases and the outcome (in some cases more than one type of complaint is raised).
	
		
			 Nature of complaint Number 
		
		
			 Failure to promote equalityunlawful discrimination 3 
			 Failure to treat others with respect 21 
			 Compromise impartiality of authority employees 7 
			 Disclosure of confidential information 6 
			 Bringing office or authority into disrepute 37 
			 Using position to confer or secure advantage or disadvantage 14 
			 Failure to use resources in accordance with requirements 7 
			 Failure to report another member 1 
			 Failure to disclose a personal interest 19 
			 Prejudicial interestfailure to withdraw 23 
			 Total 138 
		
	
	In the 173 cases heard to date, the Adjudication Panel found that there had been no breach of the code in six cases, and declined to impose sanctions in a further six. In the other cases Members were disqualified, or suspended as tabled:
	
		
			 Period of disqualification or suspension Number of members 
		
		
			 Member disqualified up to 1 month 2 
			 Member disqualified for 1 to 6 months 4 
			 Member disqualified for 1 year 100 
			 Member disqualified for 18 months 4 
			 Member disqualified for 2 years 13 
			 Member disqualified for 3 years 10 
			 Member disqualified for 5 years 3 
			 Member suspended up to 1 month 12 
			 Member suspended 1 to 6 months 10 
			 Member suspended for 1 year 3

Community Plan Areas

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to extend further community plan areas.

Keith Hill: The London-Stansted-Cambridge Growth Area was extended to include Peterborough on 2 February 2004. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no current plans to extend further any of the Sustainable Communities Plan Growth areas.
	On 2 February, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government would be working with the Regional Development Agencies, and other public and private sector partners, on a new long-term growth strategy for the north. This new vision for the north, 'The Northern Way', seeks to develop a real ambition in the north about the long term potential for growth by fully exploring the opportunities for growth along the economic and transport corridors that connect the three northern regions. The focus is therefore different from the existing housing growth areas or market renewal pathfinders.

Homelessness

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the funding each local authority in London (a) has received and (b) will receive from the Homelessness Directorate in (i) 200203, (ii) 200304 and (iii) 200405 to support their local homelessness strategies; and how that funding has been or is to be used in each case.

Yvette Cooper: The allocations to London boroughs over the three years 200203 to 200405 are tabled as follows.
	Homelessness grants from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are intended to supplement main sources of expenditure on homelessness (for example, local authority general fund expenditure and housing investment) to fund innovative services that tackle and prevent homelessness more effectively. The approaches underpinning this funding were set out in our March 2002 report, More than a roof.
	Allocations were boosted in 200203 and 200304 in acknowledgement of the need to pump-prime a number of new schemes to help deliver the Government's target to end the use of bed and breakfast hotels for homeless families with children, except in short-term emergencies, while improvements to Housing Benefit subsidy for other forms of temporary accommodation were put in place.
	All housing authorities are offered a set allocation based on historic levels of homelessness in the borough. An additional grant may also be awarded based on performance in tackling homelessness and an assessment by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Government Offices in the Regions of bids submitted by authorities for funds to help them:
	eradicate the use of bed and breakfast hotels as accommodation for homeless families with children, except in short-term emergencies;
	sustain reductions in the number of people sleeping rough to a level as near to zero as possible and at least two-thirds below the level in 1998; and
	tackle and prevent homelessness more effectively.
	Over the three-year period there has been a reduction in direct commissioning by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of services to tackle rough sleeping. Resources have been transferred to local authorities to commission services themselves as part of the development and implementation of local homelessness strategies. This is most apparent in the increasing allocation to Westminster.
	Authorities have considerable discretion over how they use the grant, provided that they deliver the required outcomes. While particular schemes are set out in individual financial agreements and monitoring returns for each authority, we do not maintain a detailed, central schedule of all the services funded in each year. Typical of the range of schemes that may be funded are: mediation; rent deposit/bond schemes; private sector and RSL lettings; advice services; services for particularly vulnerable groups; tenancy sustainment and outreach services. Services provided in each local authority area, including those receiving Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funding, are likely to feature in most authorities' homelessness strategies if they existed or were planned when the strategies were being written.
	An independent evaluation of the homelessness strategies developed during 2003 in response to the requirements of the Homelessness Act 2002 has been commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and will provide more detailed information on the approaches taken by authorities. A further project will be commissioned shortly to evaluate homelessness prevention schemes, including those funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's homelessness grants.
	
		
		
			  Grant paid 200203 Offer amounts 200304(32) Provisional offer 200405(33) 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 38,000 68,000 28,000 
			 Barnet 420,000 435,000 165,000 
			 Bexley 120,000 130,800 58,000 
			 Brent 1,970,000 1,423,000 783,000 
			 Bromley 242,000 183,500 100,000 
			 Camden 1,004,000 1,884,192 1,800,000 
			 City of London 18,000 656,000 500,000 
			 Croydon 1,597,000 1,104,000 600,000 
			 Ealing 1,535,000 1,224,608 600,000 
			 Enfield 588,000 509,000 250,000 
			 Greenwich 63,000 113,000 100,000 
			 Hackney 224,000 646,000 640,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,816,000 1,300,500 1,500,000 
			 Haringey 421,000 473,500 200,000 
			 Harrow 191,000 181,000 178,000 
			 Havering 0 27,000 27,000 
			 Hillingdon 920,000 780,000 80,000 
			 Hounslow 494,000 459,000 180,000 
			 Islington 306,000 326,700 357,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,252,000 1,565,511 905,000 
			 Kingston upon Thames 151,000 121,000 90,000 
			 Lambeth 1,083,000 1,149,456 2,000,000 
			 Lewisham 79,000 290,000 250,000 
			 Merton 116,000 75,000 80,000 
			 Newham 1,803,000 1,257,000 250,000 
			 Redbridge 458,000 292,000 105,000 
			 Richmond 116,000 386,576 295,000 
			 Southwark 518,000 996,508 1,100,000 
			 Sutton 241,000 193,000 150,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,174,000 876,050 800,000 
			 Waltham Forest 825,000 383,000 200,000 
			 Wandsworth 629,000 546,000 300,000 
			 Westminster 2,902,000 4,434,374 7,366,000 
		
	
	(32) We will not know actual spend for 200304 until fourth quarter expenditure returns are completed and returned by London authorities.
	(33) Some 200405 offers are still to be agreed with London authorities.
	In addition to the above grants, cross boundary funding provided mainly to voluntary and community sector agencies to tackle and prevent homelessness totalled:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200203 24,371,000 
			 200304 18,735,000 
			 200405 (34)9,063,000 
		
	
	(34) Not all allocations for 200405 have been confirmed.

House Building (Hampshire)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 25W, on development sites, if he will make a statement on the conclusions reached by the Joint Advisory Panel at the meeting on 10 March regarding the review of progress made on Hampshire's house building targets.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister welcomes the decision of the Joint Advisory Panel to recognise the uncertainty surrounding future housing provision in Hampshire, and to recommend a number of measures to reduce that uncertainty. The Panel has agreed to prepare a draft action plan, which we would like to agree in a month's time. The measures will need to be implemented by local authorities in Hampshire speedily, in order to obviate the need to release the reserve.

Local Authority Debt

Paul Goodman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) instructions and (b) guidelines are issued by his Department to local authorities on the writing off of (i) Council Tax and (ii) Housing Benefit debt when the debt recovery costs are greater than the debt itself; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Local authorities are under a duty to collect all council tax revenues owing to them. Council Tax Practice Note 9: Recovery and Enforcement, issued jointly by the former Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office in 1993, states that authorities should have provisions in their Standing Orders or Financial Regulations to enable amounts to be written off if they are irrecoverable or not economical to pursue.
	The recovery of housing benefit debt is a matter for the Department for Works and Pensions.

Local Government Finance (Isle of Wight)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what additional grant is to be paid to the Isle of Wight Council in 200405 following his decision to add 1 million to the grant for 200304.

Nick Raynsford: In 200304, during the final consultation on our proposed formulae changes, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister accepted the Isle of Wight's argument that their New Earnings Survey sample size was too small for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to reliably calculate a separate area cost adjustment (ACA) for the island. As a result the Isle of Wight received the same ACA as Hampshire in the 200304 settlement. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister used the same methodology to calculate the ACA for the 200405 settlement when the Isle of Wight once again received the same ACA as Hampshire.
	The Local Government Finance Settlement was approved by the House of Commons on 5 February 2004.

Pre-Budget Report Leaflet

Michael Fallon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the timetable for (a) publication and (b) circulation to hon. Members by the Government Office for the South East of copies of the pre-Budget report leaflet for the south east; and what the (i) cost and (ii) purpose of the exercise were.

Nick Raynsford: The information is as follows.
	(a) This document is distributed after the pre-Budget statement via Government Offices for the Regions.
	(b) The objective of the document is to explain the impact of the pre-Budget report on each region.
	(i) The total cost of the publication and distribution of the document was 286.00 for the south-east.
	(ii) Distribution of the document is in line with Government's commitment to promote dialogue with the regions, to strengthen their input into future policy making.

Regional Assemblies/Government

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what basis he decided that the referendums for elected regional assemblies should be conducted by all-postal ballot.

Phil Hope: Following a series of pilots in local authority elections and thorough evaluation by the Electoral Commission, it is clear that all-postal ballots can significantly increase the levels of participation in elections. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister considered this evidence carefully, before announcing our intention to hold the referendums by all-postal ballot in response to a question from the hon. Member for South Ribble (Mr. Borrow) on 22 October 2003.

Regional Assemblies/Government

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister to whom Government Offices of the Regions would be accountable if regional assemblies are introduced.

Nick Raynsford: Government Offices for the Regions will remain as part of central Government and will continue to be responsible to Government Ministers.
	However the Government intend to devolve to elected assemblies some of the functions currently discharged through Government Offices. The assembly would be accountable to its electorate for those devolved functions.

Regional Assemblies/Government

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister from which funding source the difference between the 200203 Government grant of 780 million for the North West Region, 350 million for the North East Region and 570 million for the Yorkshire and the Humber Region and the EU funding of 254 million for the North West, 88 million for the North East and 185 million for Yorkshire and the Humber was provided.

Nick Raynsford: The difference between the 200203 likely total budgets for elected regional assemblies and the European programme funding is the block grant which assemblies will receive from central Government. The budgets for which a future elected regional assembly would be responsible (in the form of the block grant) are currently allocated to the Government Offices and non-departmental public bodies from central Government Departments.

Regional Spatial Strategies

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set out the current progress of the regional spatial strategies in each region.

Keith Hill: As the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill now stands as amended in the other place, there will be no regional spatial strategies until elected regional assemblies are established. As the Bill was introduced the intention was that regional planning guidance in each region would become the regional spatial strategy following commencement of Part 1 of the Bill. Current progress on the relevant regional planning guidance is tabled as follows.
	
		Existing RPGs and proposed revisions
		
			  Existing RPG Revision timetable 
			 Region Draft RPGpublished Publicexaminationinto RPG Issue of finalRPG Draft RPG/RSSpublished Publicexaminationinto RPG/RSS Target for issueof final RPG/RSS 
		
		
			 East of England (Formally RPG6 but to become RPG 14) (Revision will extend coverage to whole of the East region) August 1998 (issued for consultation by GO) February 1999 November 2000 September 2004 June/July 2005 July 2006 
			 North East (RPG1) December 1999 June/July 2000 November 2002 November 2004 August 2005 June 2006 
			 East Midlands (RPG8) November 1999 June 2000 January 2002 Spring 2003(35) Autumn 2003(35) Autumn 2004(35) 
			 South East (RPG9) (Revision will exclude areas now included in the East and London) December 1998 May 1999 March 2001 Summer 2005 Late 2005 Autumn 2006 
			 South East (Waste Review)Early 2004(35) Autumn 2004(35) Summer 2005(35) 
			 South West (RPG10) August 1999 March/April 2000 September 2001 Autumn 2004(35) Early 2006(35) Early 2007(35) 
			 West Midlands (RPG11)   April 1998 November 2001 June 2002 Early 2004 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber (RPG 12) October 1999 June/July 2000 October 2001 End 2004 Autumn 2005 Summer 2006 
			 Yorkshire and the HumberJune 2003(35) February 2004(35) Late 2004(35) 
			 North West (RPG 13) June/July 2000 February 2001 March 2003 March 2004(35) November 2004(35) Late 2005(35) 
			 Milton Keynes and South Midlands Study (MKSM), will inform RPG for the East of England, the South East and the East Midlands.July 2003 March-April 2004 February 2005 
		
	
	(35) Partial reviews only.
	ana

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been made available to each local authority for the establishment of adoption support services under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 February 2004
	Funding for local authority adoption support services (including adoption support services) derived from the following sources in the financial year 200304:
	The children's social services Formula Spending Share (Children's FSS) of 3038.350 million, which is intended to fund all local authority children's social services, including adoption services.The Quality Protects (QP) main grant, which included approximately 60 million funding over the three years 200102 to 20034 to secure sustained improvements in adoption services. This funding will be mainstreamed from 200405 into the CSS baseline.An extra 70 million of ring-fenced money for Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Services from 200304 to 200506. 12 million of this was allocated to local authorities in the year 200304.
	A breakdown of the allocations by local authority for the Children's FSS, overall QP main grant and Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Services grant is available in Local Authority Social Services Letter (LASSL) (2003)1, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

Adult and Community Learning Programmes(Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were enrolled on adult and community learning programmes in Greater London in each year since 1995; and how many are enrolled on adult and community learning programmes now.

Ivan Lewis: The numbers of enrolments in Greater London on (i) adult and community learning and adult education courses run through local education authorities; (ii) LearnDirect; and (iii) adult basic skills, are set out separately as follows.
	The number of enrolments on adult education courses run through local education authorities (LEAs) in England at 1 November each year is published annually in the Statistical First Release, Adult Education Enrolments in England. The publication includes a breakdown of enrolments by region. The following table shows the number of enrolments on courses offered by LEAs in Greater London at 1 November for each year from 1995 to 2002, the latest year for which figures are available. These figures include enrolments on both courses that do and do not lead to a recognised qualification.
	
		Adult education enrolments on courses run by local education authorities in Greater London at 1November: 1995 to 2002(36)
		
			 November Enrolments (thousand) 
		
		
			 1995 222.8 
			 1996 226.7 
			 1997 209.0 
			 1998 218.8 
			 1999 179.5 
			 2000 201.4 
			 2001 217.3 
			 2002 221.0 
		
	
	(36) Includes enrolments by 16 to 18-year-olds
	Source:
	Local education authorities
	The figures in the following table show the numbers of learners on LearnDirect provision in Greater London in each year since 2000/01, the earliest year for which figures are available. Learners who withdrew from their course are excluded.
	
		Learners on LearnDirect provision in Greater London2000/01 to date
		
			 Academic year Learners 
		
		
			 2000/01 15,000 
			 2001/02 50,000 
			 2002/03 57,000 
			 2003/04 (to date) 30,000 
		
	
	Source:
	LearnDirect
	The final table shows the number of enrolments on adult basic skills courses in Greater London since the launch of the Skills for Life strategy.
	
		Enrolments (in thousands) on Adult Basic Skills in Greater London2000/01 to 2002/03(37) , (38)
		
			 Academic year Enrolments (thousand) 
		
		
			 2000/01(39) 167 
			 2001/02 272 
			 2002/03 311 
		
	
	(37) Includes enrolments by 16 to 18-year-olds.
	(38) Figures do not include estimates from the Offenders' Learning and Skills Unit and the Department for Work and Pensions.
	(39) Part year figure covering April to July 2001.
	Source:
	Learning and Skills Council

Adult Residential Colleges

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to examine the contribution of residential colleges for adult education to the Government's lifelong learning policies; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: There are 32 adult residential colleges based in rural locations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These colleges are mainly owned and run by Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and provide, in the main, short courses. They do not receive funding direct from the DfES or the Learning and Skills Council. It is for local Learning and Skills Councils, in discussion with LEAs, to consider whether, and if so how, residential colleges can contribute to meeting local needs in lifelong learning in the light of our commitments in 21st Century Skills to safeguard budgets for such learning.

Asbestos

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the (a) schools and (b) other education facilities which have been identified as containing asbestos; what proportion of (i) schools and (ii) other education facilities have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying the presence of asbestos; which (A) schools and (B) other education facilities require (1) remedial work and (2) removal of asbestos; what this work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for 2004 and 2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys.

David Miliband: The Department does not hold information on which schools and other education facilities contain asbestos, nor on the proportion that has been surveyed for asbestos. As part of the data collected through the appraisal of Asset Management Plans, the Department has information on maintenance requirements at maintained schools, but asbestos work is not separately identified. By May this year, in accordance with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002, schools should have identified and recorded the position of any asbestos. We do not provide funding specifically for the survey, treatment or removal of asbestos. Schools and authorities can use the large amounts of formulaic capital which is now allocated to them for investment in their buildings, including health and safety needs such as asbestos treatment. We would expect these needs to be prioritised highly in the local asset management planning process. The total amount of capital available for investment in school buildings in 200405 is 4.5 billion and in 200506 it rises to 5.1 billion.

CAFCASS

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints have been (a) made and (b) upheld against reports produced by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service since the inception of the Service.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 30 January 2004
	As at 31 March 2003, CAFCASS had received 916 complaints since its inception in April 2001, representing less than 1 per cent. of the total number of cases handled. Of the complaints, 47 per cent. were not upheld and 31 per cent. were resolved or withdrawn. Five per cent. of complaints were upheld, with 9 per cent. partly upheld and 8 per cent. remaining under investigation as at 31 March 2003.
	Figures for the period April 2003-March 2004 are currently being collected from CAFCASS' regions and will be published in their 200304 Annual Report; which is expected to be laid before Parliament before the summer recess.
	If complainants complete CAFCASS's complaints process and still remain dissatisfied, they are able to raise the matter, through a sponsoring MP, with the Parliamentary Ombudsman. In 200203, four complaints were referred to the Ombudsman: in three, no evidence was found to support them. The Ombudsman made enquiries about the fourth complaint, but decided not to progress it any further. CAFCASS only has figures on complaints received by the Parliamentary Ombudsman in 200203.

Child Care Review Officers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many independent review officers responsible for child care cases are employed in each local authority; and how many vacant posts there are in each local authority.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 February 2004
	The information requested is not available centrally.
	The Children Act 1989 Guidance requires that reviews are chaired by someone at a more senior level than the case social worker to bring a degree of oversight and objectivity to the review and care plan. Regulations also require local authorities to appoint an officer to assist in the co-ordination of all aspects of the review.
	To further strengthen this, provision was made in the Adoption and Children Act 2002 for legislation to require local authorities to appoint Independent Reviewing Officers. These officers are to be independent of the management of the child's case and independent of the resources allocated to that case. Regulations commencing this provision will come into force in September 2004 following a consultation exercise last year. A large number of local authorities already employ individuals fulfilling a similar function.

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) new born babies, (b) infants aged between one and four years and (c) children aged over five years have been taken into care by social services in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 30 January 2004
	The number of (a) new born babies, (b) infants aged between one and four years and (c) children aged over five years who were taken into care by local authorities in each of the last 10 years is shown in the table.
	
		Children who were taken into care during the years ending 31March 1993 to 2003, by age groupEngland -- Numbers
		
			   Age on entering care 
			 Year (40) , (41)All Children Under 1 1 to 4 5 and over 
		
		
			 1993 29,100 3,000 6,000 20,200 
			 1994 31,300 3,200 6,500 21,700 
			 1995 32,500 3,400 6,300 22,800 
			 1996 32,100 3,300 6,200 22,600 
			 1997 29,900 3,300 5,800 20,800 
			 1998 29,700 3,200 5,700 20,800 
			 1999 28,400 3,500 5,500 19,500 
			 2000 28,600 3,700 5,200 19,600 
			 2001 25,100 3,700 4,600 16,900 
			 2002 24,600 3,900 4,500 16,200 
		
	
	(40) Only the first occasion on which a child entered care in the year has been counted.
	(41) Figures for children in care in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements.
	Of the 24,600 children who entered care during the year ending 31 March 2002, 68 per cent. were looked after under voluntary agreements (Section 20 of the Children Act 1989), 17 per cent. were under a care order, and 15 per cent. were looked after under other legal statuses.
	For both the Under 1 and 14 age groups, over half the children who entered care during the year ending 31 March 2002 were under voluntary agreements, 2530 per cent. were under care orders and just under 20 per cent. were under other legal statuses. The pattern is slightly different for the 5 and over age group, with three quarters of the children entering under voluntary agreements, 11 per cent. under care orders, and 14 per cent. under other legal statuses.

Children in Care

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged (a) three to six months and (b) six months to one year entered local authority care in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		31March 2002, aged 36 months and 6 months to 1 year, London -- Number
		
			  Age on entering care 
			  36 months 6 months-1 year 
		
		
			 Inner London 40 55 
			 Camden 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 
			 Greenwich  5 
			 Hackney 10 10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham  0 
			 Islington 10  
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0  
			 Lambeth  5 
			 Lewisham  0 
			 Southwark   
			 Tower Hamlets 0 0 
			 Wandsworth 0 10 
			 Westminster  15 
			
			 Outer London 35 70 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 5 
			 Barnet 0 0 
			 Bexley  0 
			 Brent  5 
			 Bromley  0 
			 Croydon 0 10 
			 Ealing  0 
			 Enfield 0  
			 Haringey 0 0 
			 Harrow 0  
			 Havering  5 
			 Hillingdon   
			 Hounslow 5 5 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 0 0 
			 Merton   
			 Newham 5 15 
			 Redbridge 0 0 
			 Richmond Upon Thames 0 0 
			 Sutton 0 0 
			 Waltham Forest 0  
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placement.
	2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers between 1 and 5 are suppressed ().
	3. The figures are based on a one-third sample of children. A zero in the table means there were no children in the sample.

Children's Departments

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received concerning the proposed formation of a children's department within local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: We have received 4,604 responses to the Green Paper 'Every Child Matters' and have considered them very carefully. Last week we published 'Every Child Matters: Next Steps', which reports on the outcomes of the consultation and sets out the Government's proposals for taking this work forward.

Children's Fund

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1186W, on the Children's Fund, if he will list each project funded by the Children's Fund to date.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested on individual projects funded is not collected centrally; this is held only by partnerships. The latest available data shows that a total of 4,665 Children's Fund services were being delivered across England to 321,033 children, young people and carers.
	A list of the 149 Children's Fund partnerships in England follows. Wave 1 partnerships were approved to begin from July 2001, Wave 2 partnerships from April 2002 and Wave 3 partnerships from April 2003. Under the 2002 Spending Review the programme has 150 million per annum, although we have been able to commit an additional 20 million to all partnerships from our 2004/05 budget.
	Partnership
	Wave 1
	Norfolk county council
	Camden LBA
	Greenwich council
	Hackney Education Department
	Haringey council
	Islington council
	Newham
	Southwark
	Tower Hamlets
	Blackburn with Darwen borough council
	Blackpool borough council
	Bolton Met. borough council
	Halton (NCH)
	Knowsley MBC
	Lancashire county council
	Liverpool county council
	Manchester city council
	Oldham MBC
	Rochdale MBC
	Salford city council
	Birmingham city council
	Sandwell MBC
	Leicester city council social services
	Lincolnshire Development
	Nottingham City Social Services Department.
	Gateshead MBC
	Hartlepool borough council
	Middlesbrough (NCH)
	Newcastle city council
	Stockton on Tees borough council
	Sunderland City
	Kent (FWA)
	Portsmouth city council
	Bristol
	Cornwall (NCH)
	Bradford City MDC
	Doncaster MBC
	Kingston Upon Hull city council
	Leeds city council social services
	Sheffield city council
	Wave 2
	Luton borough council
	Peterborough
	Suffolk county council
	Barking and Dagenham
	Brent social services
	Hammersmith and Fulham social services
	Lambeth
	Lewisham
	Waltham Forest
	Wandsworth borough council
	Westminster city council
	Cheshire county council
	Cumbria Community Foundation
	St. Helens (NCH)
	Sefton council
	Tameside MBC
	Trafford MBC
	Wirral metropolitan borough
	Bournemouth (The Childrens Society)
	Devon county council
	Plymouth
	Torbay (The Children's Society)
	Barnsley MBC
	Calderdale council
	Kirklees (NCC)
	North East Lincolnshire council
	North Lincolnshire council
	North Yorkshire
	Rotherham MBC
	Derby city council
	Derbyshire county council
	Northamptonshire county council
	Nottinghamshire county council
	Darlington borough council
	County Durham
	North Tyneside council
	Northumberland (NCH)
	Redcar and Cleveland borough council
	South Tyneside MBC
	Brighton and Hove city council
	East Sussex county council
	Isle of Wight council
	Medway council
	Southampton city council
	Coventry city council
	Solihull MBC
	Stoke-on-Trent (Voluntary Action)
	Telford and Wrekin council
	Walsall MBC
	Wolverhampton city council
	Wave 3
	Barnet
	Bath and North East Somerset
	Bedfordshire
	Bexley
	Bracknell Forest
	Bromley
	Buckinghamshire
	Bury
	Cambridgeshire
	City of London
	Croydon
	Dorset
	Dudley
	Ealing
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	Enfield
	Essex
	Gloucestershire
	Hampshire
	Harrow
	Havering
	Herefordshire
	Hertfordshire
	Hillingdon
	Hounslow
	Kensington and Chelsea
	Kingston upon Thames
	Leicestershire
	Merton
	Milton Keynes
	North Somerset
	Oxfordshire
	Poole
	Reading
	Redbridge
	Richmond upon Thames
	Rutland
	Shropshire
	Slough
	Somerset
	Southend-on-Sea
	South Gloucestershire
	Staffordshire
	Stockport
	Surrey
	Sutton
	Swindon
	Thurrock
	Wakefield
	Warrington
	Warwickshire
	West Sussex
	West Berkshire
	Wigan
	Wiltshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Wokingham
	Worcestershire
	York

Computer Access

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what programmes are in place to enable mature students on low incomes to acquire computers.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 2 March 2004
	At present no centrally funded programmes are in place that enable mature students on low incomes to acquire free or low price computers. The Government have however, established a network of UK online centres. These centres provide open access to ICT and the internet for people in all communities. All mature students in England should be able to find a UK online centre near to their home.
	Many higher education institutions run local schemes to provide financial support or computer loans to their students on a case-by-case basis.
	There are several programmes that provide general financial support to mature students on a basis of need, such as Access Funds. These are explained in the booklet, Money to Learn, published by the Department for Education and Skills.

Departmental Policies (Regent's Park and Kensington, North)

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the impact of his Department's policies on the constituency of Regent's Park and Kensington North since 1997.

Charles Clarke: The constituency Regent's Park and Kensington, North covers part of both Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea local education authorities. Where the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) can or does collect information by constituency, it has been provided.
	Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my Department is investigating ways in which we disseminate information about the effects of our policies at a local level. We hope to have systems to facilitate this in place later this year.
	Children, young people and families
	The Government have sought to increase the range, number, quality and effectiveness of services for children, young people and families since 1997. Although data are not collected on a constituency basis, information is available on the impact of programmes delivered in the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster. Children's Social Services
	Children's social services in the constituency are delivered by both Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, both of which are three star social services authorities (as published in the Annual Review of Performance Reports, issued by the Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate).
	Early education
	The Government have guaranteed a free, part time, early education available place to all our four-year-olds since 1998 and an increasing number of three-year-olds, if their parents want it. All three-year-olds will be guaranteed a free place by April 2004.
	Both Kensington and Westminster authorities have confirmed that they will be able to meet their statutory obligation to three-year-olds by April 2004. Currently, we understand that around 50 per cent. of Kensington's three and four-year-olds take up an early education place, while in Westminster the participation rates are: 86 per cent. for four-year-olds and 92 per cent. for three-year-olds.
	Child care
	Since 1999, a total of 1,583 new pre-school and out of school child care places have been created within the constituency benefiting 2,689 children.
	Disadvantaged area programmes
	There are four Sure Start local programmes in the constituency providing a range of early learning, health and family services and with 3,230 children in their catchment areas, and one early excellence centre has been established in the constituency offering early education, childcare, health and family support to local children and families. Neighbourhood nurseries are being built in disadvantaged communities throughout the country following an initiative that began in 2001. There are five proposed flagship children centres in both Kensington and Chelsea LEA and Westminster LEA, some of which would be developed from acclaimed local nursery schools.
	Connexions
	Connexions, the Government's front line support service for all young people aged 1319, is providing advice, guidance and support to young people in Regent's Park and Kensington, North constituency through Central London Connexions partnership. Since its launch in June 2002, following a 12 month pilot, young people aged 1319 have had access to support and advice on a range of issues to help them participate and achieve in education, employment and training and to reach their full potential as adults.
	Youth Services
	There are two local authority youth services in Regent's Park and Kensington, Northin Westminster and in Kensington and Chelsea. There is evidence that the Department's policies have made a positive impact on the standards of youth service provision in both areas, in both of which Ofsted inspections identified weaknesses but which, when re-inspected in October 2003, were found to have made good progress.
	Extended schools
	The Department is supporting the rollout of up to 240 full service extended schools by 2006, so that there will be at least one in each LEA area. Quintin Kynaston School in Westminster LEA and Sion Manning RC School for Girls in Kensington and Chelsea LEA are being developed as full service extended schools from this year.
	Schools
	Recurrent funding
	The estimated 1 increase in per pupil funding in Westminster in real terms from 199798 to 200405 is 1,160, compared with the national average of 880.
	School performance tables
	Key stage (KS) figures can be found on the DfES website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/performancetables.
	Specialist schools
	There are two specialist schools in Kensington and Chelsea LEA and four specialist schools in Westminster LEA:
	Education Action Zones
	There is an Education Action Zone in Westminster, which includes three secondary schools, 22 nursery and primary schools and two special schools.
	Beacon schools
	Within Regent's Park and North Kensington constituency there are a total of seven Beacon schools.
	Primary Strategy Leadership
	Six primary schools are part of the Primary Strategy Leadership programme in Kensington and Chelsea. Westminster LEA has not identified particular schools to participate in the programme but is using consultant leaders to give leadership support to all schools across the LEA.
	Leadership Incentive Grant
	There are eight secondary schools in Westminster in receipt of LIG and four schools in Kensington and Chelsea in receipt of LIG.
	Behaviour improvement projects
	In Westminster four secondary schools and 17 primary schools are involved in the BIP. In Kensington and Chelsea there are three secondary schools and 12 primary schools.
	Healthy schools
	There are different levels of involvement within the NHSS, level three being the highest37.5 per cent. of schools in Kensington and Chelsea and 53 per cent. of schools in Westminster are working at this level and are recognised as healthy schools.
	1419 Education
	The Government's strategy for 1419 education and training, set out in 1419: opportunity and excellence, will provide all young people with the opportunity to continue their education in different settings, including schools, colleges, and the workplace.
	The impact of the 1419 agenda on Regent's Park and Kensington, North includes:
	1619 area inspection (1419 from March 2003)
	1619 area inspections were introduced in 1999 as a key means of securing improvements in education and training for young people. The royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea underwent a 1619 area inspection in summer 2002. A copy of the Ofsted report can be found on their website www.ofsted.gov.uk.
	With London Central LSC in the lead, local partners developed an action plan that was accepted by Stephen Twigg, the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Schools, on 12 January 2003. London Central LSC is responsible for the successful implementation of the plan, which is on-going.
	Vocational Provision
	London Central LSC currently has four work-based learning providers delivering vocational programmes in the constituency of Regents Park and Kensington, North.
	Learners in the borough have access to all of the remaining 31 work-based learning providers in the London Central portfolio. Within easy travelling distance they can gain entry to over 35 additional occupational areas ranging from accountancy, engineering and sport and recreation to construction, hospitality and retail.
	Educational maintenance allowances
	Neither Kensington and Chelsea nor Westminster is covered by Educational Maintenance Allowances (EMA) pilots although some students attending FE institutions in these LEAs may be in receipt of EMA because most of inner London is covered by pilots.
	Higher education
	Participation
	The number of 18 to 20-year-olds entering full-time higher education courses, are as follows:
	
		Number
		
			  Kensington and Chelsea Westminster 
		
		
			 1997 655 613 
			 1998 584 650 
			 1999 614 647 
			 2000 654 672 
			 2001 658 688 
			 2002 655 717 
		
	
	Adult education
	The Local Labour Force Survey shows that in Regents Park and Kensington, North:
	The proportion of working age people qualified to at least level 4 has risen from 30.5 per cent. in 1999 to 37.1 per cent. in 2001.
	The proportion of working age people qualified to at least level 2 has risen from 62.6 per cent. in 1999 to 69.8 per cent. in 2001.
	The proportion of working people without any qualification has fallen from 18.2 per cent. in 1999 to 13.6 per cent. in 2001.
	The proportion of working age people who received job related training in the last four weeks rose from 10.4 per cent. in 1999 to 13.1 per cent. in 2001.
	1 Includes provisional estimates of grants and allocations still to be confirmed. Real terms at 200203 prices.

Domestic Violence

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research Government departments have conducted within the past five years into the effects of domestic violence on children; and what the main conclusions were.

Margaret Hodge: There is considerable research already available conducted by experts in this field of social policy that highlights the effects of domestic violence on children. The main conclusions are that children who have been exposed to domestic violence demonstrate more aggression, antisocial behaviour and anger, as well as withdrawal, depression, suicidal behaviour, anxiety, fears, phobias, insomnia and low self-esteem, compared to children who have not suffered these experiences.

Domestic Violence

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are (a) in place and (b) planned to increase the consistency among geographical areas of standards of domestic violence services aimed at children.

Margaret Hodge: Local authorities, in partnership with other agencies, both statutory and voluntary, are expected to assess the needs of children in their areas, in accordance with the duties imposed on them by Part III of the Children Act 1989 and then to determine the range of services that will need to be available in order to respond to those needs. This process, inevitably and properly, leads to diversity in the provision of services at local level.

Dyslexia Conference

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representation his Department plans to have at the Sixth British Dyslexia Association Conference; and if he will make a statement on programmes available to assist dyslexia sufferers.

Margaret Hodge: A DfES representative has served on the steering group for this event and we hope to send an observer on one of the conference days.
	In addition to assisting with planning, the Department has provided grant support to enable a number of promising students to attend the event and a grant for a new conference publication aimed at classroom practitioners. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has also provided a goodwill message for this international event, which will be reproduced in conference literature.
	A number of commercially available programmes support children with specific learning difficulties. It is for parents, individual schools and local education authorities to decide whether a given technique has something to offer an individual child in the light of his or her needs.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has carried out, in addition to the three-year assessments, to assess the impact of education maintenance allowances on participating in the Government-supported training; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 23 February 2004
	Evaluation findings show that the national EMA scheme is expected to increase participation in education at Year 12 by 3.8 per cent. and at Year 13 by 4.1 per cent. Evidence from the pilot EMA areas shows that little of the increase in participation through EMA is from Government Supported Training. Over half of the increase in participation through EMA is from young people who would otherwise not be in any education, employment or training, and most others are from work without training. There is some evidence from the pilot areas that suggests an increased flow into Government Supported Training at 18.
	Overall EMA supports a range of learning up to level 3. This includes young people doing quality assured NVQs and vocational courses in FE colleges that often incorporate work placements.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact of educational maintenance allowances in improving participation rates in post-16 education.

Ivan Lewis: In the pilots, EMA increased participation by 16-year-olds in education by 5.9 per cent. points. Judged against historic trends, this represents a major increase. Our evaluators predict that in the first year of the national scheme, some 35,000 additional young people will participate in further education, and this will rise to over 70,000 per year when EMA is fully in place.

Emotional Intelligence Initiatives

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what departmental initiatives there are in relation to emotional intelligence; what difficulties have been reported in implementing such initiatives; and how the success of these initiatives is evaluated;
	(2)  what funding his Department provides to (a) schools and (b) local education authorities to develop (i) emotional intelligence and (ii) literacy initiatives;
	(3)  which (a) schools, (b) academics and (c) university education departments his Department has assessed as the best practitioners in the field of emotional intelligence; and what his Department regards as best practice in this field.

Ivan Lewis: The Department is concerned to promote children's social and emotional development and their social, emotional and behavioural skills (SEBS), which themselves contribute to children's emotional intelligence and emotional literacy.
	Promoting positive emotional and social development is a crucial part of educating children. The Department is therefore committed to providing guidance and materials for every stage. Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage covers the emotional and social development of very young children and we are developing associated training materials. The Personal, Social and Health Education framework supports the emotional and social development of children at Key Stages 1 to 4. To supplement that, the Department is piloting specific Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills (SEBS) materials for primary schools in 25 local education authorities (LEAs) and developing similar materials for secondary schools.
	The Department is investing 600,000 in SEBS materials for primary schools over two years. The pilot is in the early stages of implementation but initial feedback from schools is very positive. It will be evaluated by the University of London's Institute of Education. The Foundation and secondary materials are still at the initial development stage.
	The development of SEBS materials is informed by existing good practice in a number of LEAs including Southampton, Bristol, Portsmouth, Cumbria, Merton, East Riding of Yorkshire, Brighton and Hove and Nottingham City. The Department is also advised by an expert SEBS practitioners group including academics from the universities of Southampton, Oxford and Middlesex, a range of voluntary bodies including the National Children's Bureau, the NSPCC and Antidote, senior school staff and LEA officers.

EU Accession Citizens

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate the Government have made of how many EU accession country citizens will make use of the education system in the UK at each level.

Alan Johnson: From 1 May children living within the UK who come from the accession countries will have access to education here. In addition, students who attend Further and Higher Education Institutions will have home fee status as long as they have been resident within an acceding country for three years.
	The Government commissioned work from independent academic experts on likely numbers of migrants arriving which is published and available on the Home Office website. We will monitor the situation post enlargement to ensure that the impact on schools, FE and HE is understood. Government departments are working together to ensure that all the available data are brought together to offer a rounded picture of the impact of accession and as well as feeding into this we will be looking to use the results to inform the picture for education.
	For Higher Education we have been collecting data on the nationality of students, including those from accession countries for some years. We estimate a one-off increase in the number of EU students in the UK of perhaps about 8 per cent. as a result of EU enlargement. Our January HEFCE Grant letter took account of the expansion of the EU due to take place in 2004, and so did the Additional Student Numbers (ASN) exercise that HEFCE are currently running for foundation degrees. We have already forecasted for growth in new EU students and will continue to do so in the next Spending Review. It is important to remember that since we do not give maintenance to students from the EU, coming to study in the UK is not a 'cheap option' for them; they still have to find ways to support their living costs themselves.

EU Enlargement

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which UK agencies are best able to (a) assist with recognising educational backgrounds and skills of migrant workers and (b) help the UK employment sector to take advantage of the enlargement of the EU.

Ivan Lewis: The Government welcome EU enlargement and expect that it will have a positive impact on the UK, allowing us to benefit from a wider skills market to fill key labour and skills gaps and boost productivity.
	The UK National Reference Point (NRP) for Vocational Qualifications has been set up by UK Government to explain vocational qualifications (VQs) and particularly how UK VQs relate to ones elsewhere in Europe. The UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) advises on the comparability of overseas educational qualifications with those from the UK.
	Jobcentre Plus is able to assist employers in the UK and migrant workers from the new member states to fill vacancies and find appropriate work. Jobcentre Plus, through its EURES adviser network is also able to advise employers and jobseekers about comparability of qualifications through the NARIC Global Qualifications database.

EU Enlargement

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of how enlargement of the EU will affect the skills shortage in the United Kingdom.

Ivan Lewis: The Government welcome EU enlargement and expect that it will have a positive impact on the UK, allowing us to benefit from a wider skills market to fill key labour and skills gaps and boost productivity. The UK has the strongest labour market for a generation and this puts us in a good position to absorb any additional migrant flows. Free movement of workers within a larger EU will complement the work we are doing to address the skills gaps that exist currently within our own workforce, which are predominantly in the Business Services and construction sectors.
	As announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, A8-nationals who want to work in the UK will be required to apply to register as a worker once they have found a job. The benefit of this new light-touch worker registration scheme is that it will expand the range of skills and supply of workers available across the UK and allow us to monitor the types of work that accession country nationals are entering in the UK. Through our labour market data we will also be able to tell the impact on the UK labour market as a whole.

European School, Culham

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the European Parliament resolution on the future financing of the European Schools (20022083 (INI)), with regard to the European School at Culham.

Alan Johnson: The future financing of the European School at Culham is the subject of an independent review as a direct result of the European Commission's intention to withdraw support from smaller European Schools. Decisions on the future of Culham will be taken by the European Schools Governing Body on the basis of this review.

Further Education

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) applicants and (b) entrants to each university in England were from (i) further education colleges, (ii) sixth-form colleges, (iii) school sixth-forms and (iv) independent schools in (A) 2001 and (B) 2002.

Alan Johnson: The information is not held centrally. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) collects data on the previous school type of applicants and acceptances to full-time undergraduate courses but does not release this data at institutional level without the prior permission of the institutions.
	However, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) publishes data annually showing the proportion of entrants to each university and HE college who come from state schools or colleges. This is contained in Performance Indicators in Higher Education, the latest edition of which is available from the House Library.

Gap Year Students

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of A-level students who took a year off study before beginning a university course in each year since 1990.

Alan Johnson: The available information comes from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers deferred entry for 18-year-old, full-time, accepted applicants to first degree and HND study in the UK. Figures are in the table. Students who defer their application to UCAS because they are taking a gap year are therefore excluded.
	
		UK domiciled 18-year-old applicants, accepted through UCAS with deferred entry
		
			 Year ofapplication Total accepted applicants Total accepted on deferred basis Percentage deferred 
		
		
			 1994/95 118,890 9,120 7.7 
			 1995/96 124,908 10,495 8.4 
			 1996/97 130,768 11,879 9.1 
			 1997/98 146,756 13,345 9.1 
			 1998/99 148,301 14,261 9.6 
			 1999/2000 146,670 14,975 10.2 
			 2000/01 147,986 16,007 10.8 
			 2001/02 156,790 18,840 12.0 
			 2002/03 161,032 19,600 12.2 
		
	
	Source:
	UCAS

Higher Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students in higher education institutions are not studying for degree courses.

Alan Johnson: In 200203, 47 per cent. of all HE enrolments to UK HE institutions were for courses other than first degrees. Figures are given in the table.
	
		Enrolments to UK HE Institutions, 200203
		
			 Level Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Postgraduate 414,250 21 
			 First Degree 1,075,070 53 
			 Other Undergraduate 530,860 26 
			 All 2,020,180 100 
		
	
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 18-year-olds entered full-time higher education in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire in each year since 1990.

Alan Johnson: The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) applicants accepted to full time first degree and HND courses. Information prior to 1994 entry is not available at local education authority level. Figures are given in the table.
	
		Percentage of accepted applicants, aged 18, through UCAS
		
			  Year of Entry 
			 LEA (42)1994 (42)1995 (42)1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 North East Lincolnshire - - - 15.3 14.7 15.3 15.2 16.0 14.5 
			 North Lincolnshire - - - 20.2 18.8 17.9 21.3 18.2 18.6 
			 Humberside 15.1 16.5 16.8   
		
	
	(42) Prior to 1997, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire were contained within Humberside LEA along with the City of Kingston upon Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Isle of Wight College

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the quality of provision by the Isle of Wight college since publication of the statement by the Baroness Blackstone contained in the Department of Education and Skills press notices 1999/0212.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 10 March 2004
	The Isle of Wight College recovery plan has been effectively implemented and the college now offers good quality courses across a wide provision to serve the needs of the local community. The college was inspected under the Common Inspection Framework in October 2003 and the inspectors judged that of the nine areas of learning delivered by the college, three were satisfactory, five were good and one outstanding. Leadership and management of the college was also judged to be good. The college has also recently been recognised as a Centre of Vocational Excellence for hospitality and catering.

Language Teaching

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many staff teaching English in secondary schools (a) for part of their time and (b) full-time do not have a first degree in English;
	(2)  how many staff teaching modern foreign languages in secondary schools (a) full-time and (b) for part of their time do not have a first degree in a foreign language;
	(3)  what the vacancy level for teachers of modern foreign languages is.

David Miliband: Information on subject teaching is not available in the form requested. Similar information is available in 'Statistics of Education: School Workforce in England, 2003 Edition'. This can be found in the Library or at the following link: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsqatewav/DBA/OL/v000443/index.shtml. The level of qualifications teachers hold in the subjects they teach is shown in Table 24. The percentage of periods they provide in those subjects is shown in Table 25.
	In January 2003, the vacancy rate for all languages in secondary schools in England was 1.1 per cent. Modern foreign languages cannot be separately identified.

Learning Difficulties

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in the United Kingdom had learning difficulties in each year since 1995.

Ivan Lewis: The Labour Force Survey (LFS) collects information on the long-term health conditions and impairments of working age adults. LFS estimates of those who have a current long-term impairment and whose main condition is a severe or specific learning difficulty are shown in the table below for each autumn since 1998. Comparable estimates are not available prior to 1998.
	
		People of working age(43) with a current long-term health condition or impairment(44)whose main condition is a learning difficulty(45)
		
			 Autumn of each year Thousand Percentage of workingage population 
		
		
			 1998 128 0.35 
			 1999 150 0.41 
			 2000 153 0.42 
			 2001 149 0.40 
			 2002 187 0.50 
			 2003 159 0.43 
		
	
	(43) Working age is defined as men aged 1664 and women aged 1659.
	(44) People are defined as disabled if they have a long-standing illness significantly limiting their day-to-day activities and/or they have work-limiting disability.
	(45) Main health condition is a severe or specific learning difficulty.
	Source:
	UK, Labour Force Survey

Learning Difficulties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the school population is categorised as having (a) severe and (b) moderate learning difficulties; and what proportion is in special schools in each case.

Margaret Hodge: The Department of Education and Skills began collecting data on pupils' type of special educational need from January 2004. It is not possible to provide information on the proportion of the school population with severe or moderate learning difficulties until the data have been collated. We expect it to become available in the summer.
	Information about the provision being made for pupils with statements of special educational need is collected from local authorities each year. In January 2003, 37.5 per cent. of pupils with a statement of special educational need were being educated in maintained, non-maintained or independent special schools.

Learning Difficulties

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding his Department provides for projects to train people with learning difficulties.

Ivan Lewis: There is no specific funding for such projects. Rather, training and education for people with learning difficulties is funded from the overall budget (8.1 billion in 200304) which my Department allocates to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in order to carry out its education and training remit for young people and adults. Within this overall budget the LSC will spend 105 million this year on specialist residential college placements and considerably more supporting learners with learning difficulties in mainstream provision.
	The Government have strengthened the rights of people with learning difficulties to appropriate post-16 provision through a combination of legislative change and collaborative work with key organisations representing disabled learners. Under Section 13 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, the LSC has a specific responsibility to help young people and adults with learning difficulties. Although the LSC does not develop policies relating to specific groups of learners, its broad remit means that it can fund a wide range of provision to ensure these learners have access to suitable provision which meets their needs and, where appropriate, the additional support they require to undertake it.
	The LSC has established a Forum on Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities to ensure that inclusive learning is at the heart of its policies and processes. Membership includes representatives from Government, external representative bodies and learners with learning difficulties. The LSC also participates in local Learning Disability Partnership Boards, with the Department of Health and other partner agencies, to improve local inter-agency working.

Local Education Authorities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what framework is in place to assess the quality of local education authorities in areas other than those covered by Ofsted.

David Miliband: holding answer 27 February 2004
	Ofsted is responsible, under section 38 of the Education Act 1997, for inspecting the main functions of local education authorities (LEAs) as they relate to schools. Provisions in the Children Bill would widen the scope of section 38 to cover any function of an LEA other than those falling within the remit of the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI).
	Local authority social care functions are inspected by the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI), whose functions are shortly to transfer to the newly established Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). The Children Bill provides for the integrated inspection of children's services in local authority areas, with all relevant inspectorates working under a framework which will cover all local authority services for children, as well as other non-Council services such as health and probation.

Numeracy/Literacy

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in the United Kingdom were classified as (a) innumerate and (b) illiterate in each year since 1995.

Ivan Lewis: Until last year, information on literacy and numeracy skills had not been collected on a regular basis, so annual data are not available. However, the Skills for Life Survey: A national needs and impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, which was published by the Department for Education and Skills in October last year, tested the literacy, language and numeracy skills of 8,040 people in England. The findings are shown in the following table. Attainment is split into levels that are broadly mapped to the National Curriculum Key Stages in schools: Entry Levels 1, 2 and 3 correspond to Foundation, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, Level 1 corresponds to Key Stage 3, and Level 2 to Key Stage 4. We consider those who are at Entry Level 3 or below to have a severe basic skills need.
	As education is a devolved matter, the Department does not have data covering the rest of the United Kingdom.
	
		
			  Percentage of 16 to 65-year-olds Number of 16 to 65-year-olds (million) 
		
		
			 Overall literacy(46)   
			 Entry level 1 or below 3 1.1 
			 Entry level 2 2 0.6 
			 Entry level 3 11 3.5 
			 (All Entry level or below) (16) (5.2) 
			 Level 1 40 12.6 
			 Level 2 or above 44 14.1 
			  100 31.9 
			
			 Overall numeracy(47)   
			 Entry level 1 or below 5 1.7 
			 Entry level 2 16 5.1 
			 Entry level 3 25 8.1 
			 (All Entry level or below) (47) (15.0) 
			 Level 1 28 8.8 
			 Level 2 or above 25 8.1 
			  100 31.9 
		
	
	(46) Base: all respondents with literacy level (7,874)
	(47) Base: all respondents with numeracy level (8,040)
	Source for population figures:
	Census 01

Numeracy/Literacy

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in the United Kingdom had (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills below Level 1, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) race and (iii) socio-economic group in each year since 1995.

Ivan Lewis: Until last year, there was no large-scale collection of information on literacy and numeracy skills, so annual data are not available. However, the Skills for Life Survey: A national needs and impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, which was published by the Department for Education and Skills in October last year, tested the literacy, language and numeracy skills of 8,040 people in England.
	Attainment in literacy and numeracy, recorded by gender, social class and ethnic background, is summarised in the tables.
	As education is a devolved matter, the Department does not have access to data for the rest of the United Kingdom.
	
		Literacy and Numeracy skills below Level 1 by Gender -- Literacy by GenderBase: all respondents with literacy level (7874)
		
			  Men aged 1665 (%) Women aged 1665 (%) 
		
		
			 Below Level 1 16 16 
			 Level 1 and above 84 84 
		
	
	
		Numeracy by GenderBase: all respondents with numeracy level (8040)
		
			  Men aged 1665 (%) Women aged 1665 (%) 
		
		
			 Below Level 1 41 59 
			 Level 1 and above 53 47 
		
	
	
		Literacy and Numeracy skills below Level 1 by Social Class -- Literacy by household social classBase: All respondents with literacy scores
		
			  Base Below Level 1 (%) Level 1 and above (%) 
		
		
			 I 429 6 94 
			 II 2,656 8 92 
			 IIIa 1,328 12 88 
			 IIIb 1,739 21 79 
			 IV 1,051 31 69 
			 V 301 37 63 
			 Total 7,874 16 84 
		
	
	
		Numeracy by household social class  -- Base: All respondents with numeracy scores
		
			  Base Below Level 1 (%) Level 1 and above (%) 
		
		
			 I 433 23 77 
			 II 2,664 33 67 
			 IIIa 1,361 48 52 
			 IIIb 1,785 56 44 
			 IV 1,100 65 35 
			 V 317 77 23 
			 Total 8,040 47 53 
		
	
	
		Literacy and Numeracy skills below Level 1 by ethnic group -- Literacy level by ethnic groupBase: All respondents with literacy levelPercentage
		
			  All White British Asian (Indian) Asian (Pakistani) Black (Caribbean) Black (African) 
			  (n=7874) (n=7015) (n=123) (n=69)(48) (n=80)(48) (n=77)(48) 
		
		
			 Below Level 1 16 14 37 47 40 38 
			 Level 1 or above 84 86 63 53 60 62 
		
	
	(48) Note small base
	
		Numeracy levels by ethnic groupBase: All respondents with numeracy levelPercentage
		
			  All White British Asian (Indian) Asian (Pakistani) Black (Caribbean) Black (African) 
			  (n=8040) (n=7160) (n=130) (n=70)(49) (n=86)(49) (n=78)(49) 
		
		
			 Below Level 1 47 45 61 71 81 78 
			 Level 1 or above 53 55 39 29 19 22 
		
	
	(49) Note small base

Post-16 Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what local education authority programmes encourage pupils to remain in education beyond the age of 16; and what steps his Department is taking to support these programmes.

Ivan Lewis: We work with local education authorities (LEAs), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Connexions, and schools and colleges to encourage young people to remain in education or training after the age of 16. We are tackling the causes of low participation by providing a more flexible, coherent and better quality 1419 curriculum; advice and guidance; and financial support.
	We are working with 56 LEAs to pilot the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme. Evidence from the evaluation has led to our decision to extend the scheme across England from September 2004.
	We have put in place a national Connexions service to provide advice, guidance and support to help young people make an effective transition to post-16 learning and to adult life. This is supported by Connexions Directan internet and telephone based confidential advice service available 18 hours a day and 365 days a year. The Connexions service has a specific target to reduce the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training by 10 per cent. by November 2004.
	We are investing, jointly with the LSC, 46 million over the period 200203 to 200405 in a programme of 39 1419 pathfinders. Pathfinder partnerships, which include LEAs, are testing local delivery of 1419 education and training in a range of settings, introducing more curriculum flexibility and choice so that students' programmes can be better tailored to their needs and aptitudes.
	We recognise that a key factor in the decision by young people to remain in education after 16 is the quality of their experience at school and the standards they achieve. That is why our strategy for transforming education in secondary schools, particularly the national Key Stage 3 Strategy, supports teachers in tailoring teaching and learning to meet the needs of pupils and to personalise their learning experience. The results of national curriculum tests at KS3 last year showed standards at their highest ever in each subject and at every level. Standards at KS4 again improved on previous record levels with greatest improvements in schools in the most challenging circumstances. The 'Increased Flexibility for 1416 Year Olds' programme aims to increase attainment and encourage young people to progress into education or training. Over 90,000 pupils are currently involved and we are providing over 50 million of support in the current year to almost 300 partnerships between schools and colleges.
	We are also working, through the Sure Start initiative, with LEAs and providers to continue to expand child care, early learning and health and family support from which teenage and older parents can benefit.
	And we recognise that educational participation is supported and enhanced by modern, accessible youth work providing personal and social development. In Resourcing Excellent Youth Services, we set youth services a clear vision of what we expect them to provide for the young people in their area. To help youth services achieve this vision, we gave local authorities a 5.9 per cent. investment increase in the EPS youth and community sub-block; and have also provided grant funding worth around 80 million over the period 200206 explicitly to support modernisation.

Pre-schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his latest estimate is of the number of pre-schools in England; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My Department estimates that there were 10,100 pre-school or playgroups in England in January 2003. Provisional data for January 2004 will be published in May 2004.

Pupils Attainments

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the changes in pupils' attainment in the early years of secondary schools over the past two years.

David Miliband: The Key Stage 3 (KS3) National Tests are the main measure of pupils' attainment in the early years of secondary education. The 2003 tests, recorded the best ever pupil attainment at KS3, with improvements in every subject and at every level. Over the past two years the percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 or above has increased by four percentage points to currently stand at 69 per cent. in English; increased by five percentage points to reach 71 per cent. in mathematics and increased by two percentage points to stand at 68 per cent. in science. The percentage of pupils achieving Level 6 or above over the same period has increased by three percentage points in English to reach 35 per cent., six percentage points in mathematics to reach 49 per cent., and six percentage points in science to reach 40 per cent..
	These achievements endorse the positive impact on pupils' attainment of the Key Stage 3 National Strategy which we introduced to raise the attainment of all 11 to 14-year-olds. Our priority now is to build on these gains to achieve even higher standards this year by further embedding the strategy, maintaining a focus on tackling under performance, and supporting teachers to personalise teaching and learning to meet the needs of individual pupils.

Recreational Adult Education

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the implications of the decision to prioritise some groups of adult learners in recreational adult education.

Ivan Lewis: There has been no decision to prioritise some groups of learners in recreational adult education. We gave a commitment in the Skills Strategy White Paper to safeguard the availability of lifelong learning courses by agreeing with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) an overall indicative budget for non qualification provision provided through local education authorities (LEAs), family and neighbourhood learning. This we have done. The figure for 200405 is 207.4 million compared with 206 million in 200304. This follows a period when the Government significantly increased the budget for this type of learning from 145 million in 200001, and 183 million in 200203. In November 2002, 662,000 adults were on predominantly non vocational and non qualification courses run through LEAs.

School Absenteeism (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many half-days have been lost owing to unauthorised absence of pupils in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997 (i) in absolute terms and (ii) as a proportion of the total number of half-days.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Unauthorised absence in maintained Primary and Secondary schools in Greater London 1997/98 to 2002/03
		
			  Academic year 1997/98 
			 Local education authority Number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence % half days missed due to unauthorised absence 
		
		
			 London, City of 976 1.92 
			 Camden 78,679 1.46 
			 Greenwich 172,048 2.00 
			 Hackney 101,078 1.58 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 65,994 1.90 
			 Islington 105,073 1.70 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 41,502 1.74 
			 Lambeth 88,978 1.34 
			 Lewisham 150,844 1.83 
			 Southwark 169,937 2.03 
			 Tower Hamlets 184,708 2.19 
			 Wandsworth 66,109 0.99 
			 Westminster, City of 91,418 2.08 
			 Barking and Dagenham 105,543 1.52 
			 Barnet 77,882 0.65 
			 Bexley 38,296 0.42 
			 Brent 62,081 0.75 
			 Bromley 54,438 0.47 
			 Croydon 67,594 0.56 
			 Ealing 84,732 0.86 
			 Enfield 111,415 0.95 
			 Haringey 128,095 1.64 
			 Harrow 43,429 0.55 
			 Havering 37,739 0.40 
			 Hillingdon 97,442 1.05 
			 Hounslow 77,565 0.92 
			 Kingston upon Thames 24,577 0.51 
			 Merton 80,513 1.39 
			 Newham 281,582 2.51 
			 Redbridge 58,420 0.61 
			 Richmond upon Thames 26,734 0.50 
			 Sutton 27,419 0.39 
			 Waltham Forest 122,797 1.42 
			 Greater London 2,925,637 1.16 
		
	
	
		
			   Academic year 1998/99 
			 Local education authority Number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence % half days missed due to unauthorised absence 
		
		
			 London, City of 870 1.62 
			 Camden 80,643 1.47 
			 Greenwich 164,721 1.84 
			 Hackney 117,592 1.87 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 81,121 1.88 
			 Islington 101,917 1.70 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 44,302 1.72 
			 Lambeth 74,782 1.11 
			 Lewisham 146,376 1.77 
			 Southwark 152,771 1.85 
			 Tower Hamlets 144,803 1.75 
			 Wandsworth 55,429 0.82 
			 Westminster, City of 111,262 2.52 
			 Barking and Dagenham 118,473 1.64 
			 Barnet 82,707 0.70 
			 Bexley 41,590 0.42 
			 Brent 67,803 0.75 
			 Bromley 55,152 0.47 
			 Croydon 85,711 0.69 
			 Ealing 78,697 0.78 
			 Enfield 139,097 1.17 
			 Haringey 132,103 1.66 
			 Harrow 38,434 0.50 
			 Havering 35,452 0.36 
			 Hillingdon 111,820 1.15 
			 Hounslow 85,135 0.99 
			 Kingston upon Thames 26,861 0.55 
			 Merton 81,051 1.35 
			 Newham 279,864 2.34 
			 Redbridge 59,335 0.59 
			 Richmond upon Thames 39,226 0.71 
			 Sutton 29,396 0.41 
			 Waltham Forest 105,736 1.15 
			 Greater London 2,970,232 1.15 
		
	
	
		
			   Academic year 1999/2000 
			 Local education authority Number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence % half days missed due to unauthorised absence 
		
		
			 London, City of 1,024 1.93 
			 Camden 73,343 1.38 
			 Greenwich 140,254 1.59 
			 Hackney 106,715 1.68 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 64,254 1.58 
			 Islington 87,926 1.51 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 28,882 1.24 
			 Lambeth 67,732 1.06 
			 Lewisham 177,815 2.06 
			 Southwark 140,088 1.70 
			 Tower Hamlets 175,273 1.97 
			 Wandsworth 47,933 0.71 
			 Westminster, City of 82,599 1.96 
			 Barking and Dagenham 112,190 1.53 
			 Barnet 92,733 0.80 
			 Bexley 65,638 0.67 
			 Brent 71,191 0.78 
			 Bromley 55,696 0.46 
			 Croydon 66,086 0.54 
			 Ealing 74,619 0.74 
			 Enfield 158,499 1.36 
			 Haringey 158,098 2.11 
			 Harrow 43,560 0.55 
			 Havering 32,183 0.33 
			 Hillingdon 115,132 1.13 
			 Hounslow 80,178 0.93 
			 Kingston upon Thames 29,328 0.61 
			 Merton 59,500 1.01 
			 Newham 251,543 2.14 
			 Redbridge 70,426 0.71 
			 Richmond upon Thames 51,160 0.93 
			 Sutton 28,208 0.38 
			 Waltham Forest 89,053 0.99 
			 Greater London 2,898,859 1.12 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures relate to maintained primary and secondary schools but exclude maintained special schools and CTCs.
	Figures cover pupils that were absent between September and May for each year
	
		Unauthorised absence in maintained Primary and Secondary schools in Greater London 1997/98 to 2002/03
		
			  Academic year 2000/01 
			  Number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence % half days missed due to unauthorised absence 
		
		
			 London, City of 470 0.85 
			 Camden 77,860 1.48 
			 Greenwich 151,560 1.74 
			 Hackney 137,829 2.10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 59,493 1.40 
			 Islington 81,544 1.40 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 40,208 1.56 
			 Lambeth 78,000 1.19 
			 Lewisham 201,480 2.44 
			 Southwark 147,966 1.72 
			 Tower Hamlets 176,825 1.97 
			 Wandsworth 41,310 0.62 
			 Westminster, City of 70,169 1.59 
			 Barking and Dagenham 119,229 1.61 
			 Barnet 107,497 0.90 
			 Bexley 67,686 0.67 
			 Brent 62,876 0.69 
			 Bromley 82,593 0.69 
			 Croydon 83,410 0.65 
			 Ealing 58,368 0.58 
			 Enfield 176,126 1.45 
			 Haringey 137,481 1.78 
			 Harrow 38,516 0.49 
			 Havering 39,524 0.40 
			 Hillingdon 91,964 0.93 
			 Hounslow 91,588 1.08 
			 Kingston upon Thames 22,032 0.44 
			 Merton 49,034 0.87 
			 Newham 233,181 1.93 
			 Redbridge 75,684 0.73 
			 Richmond upon Thames 66,817 1.22 
			 Sutton 29,372 0.40 
			 Waltham Forest 115,934 1.25 
			 Greater London 3,013,626 1.15 
		
	
	
		
			  Academic year 2001/02 
			  Number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence % half days missed due to unauthorised absence 
		
		
			 London, City of 169 0.32 
			 Camden 65,294 1.25 
			 Greenwich 165,470 1.86 
			 Hackney 118,493 1.81 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 46,981 1.13 
			 Islington 81,441 1.37 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 31,389 1.26 
			 Lambeth 69,059 1.05 
			 Lewisham 152,961 1.84 
			 Southwark 156,481 1.76 
			 Tower Hamlets 163,020 1.83 
			 Wandsworth 57,917 0.86 
			 Westminster, City of 54,865 1.22 
			 Barking and Dagenham 127,790 1.73 
			 Barnet 91,524 0.78 
			 Bexley 76,907 0.75 
			 Brent 53,091 0.58 
			 Bromley 86,441 0.72 
			 Croydon 78,092 0.61 
			 Ealing 55,691 0.55 
			 Enfield 175,576 1.47 
			 Haringey 156,948 1.93 
			 Harrow 34,500 0.45 
			 Havering 38,596 0.39 
			 Hillingdon 104,817 1.04 
			 Hounslow 88,872 1.04 
			 Kingston upon Thames 19,697 0.39 
			 Merton 38,326 0.69 
			 Newham 213,733 1.78 
			 Redbridge 78,596 0.74 
			 Richmond upon Thames 64,402 1.23 
			 Sutton 49,739 0.65 
			 Waltham Forest 92,502 1.03 
			 Greater London 2,889,380 1.10 
		
	
	
		
			   Academic year 2002/03 
			  Number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence % half days missed due to unauthorised absence 
		
		
			 London, City of 0 0.00 
			 Camden 55,645 1.14 
			 Greenwich 166,073 1.85 
			 Hackney 105,774 1.62 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 48,180 1.19 
			 Islington 80,662 1.36 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 24,846 0.97 
			 Lambeth 62,317 0.92 
			 Lewisham 136,429 1.57 
			 Southwark 157,226 1.75 
			 Tower Hamlets 138,820 1.56 
			 Wandsworth 52,766 0.78 
			 Westminster, City of 48,561 1.08 
			 Barking and Dagenham 119,169 1.60 
			 Barnet 87,718 0.74 
			 Bexley 54,322 0.54 
			 Brent 56,144 0.60 
			 Bromley 87,561 0.73 
			 Croydon 110,841 0.87 
			 Ealing 48,907 0.49 
			 Enfield 173,070 1.44 
			 Haringey 143,333 1.75 
			 Harrow 25,072 0.32 
			 Havering 37,431 0.39 
			 Hillingdon 111,853 1.10 
			 Hounslow 95,439 1.11 
			 Kingston upon Thames 17,616 0.35 
			 Merton 41,819 0.77 
			 Newham 150,900 1.29 
			 Redbridge 76,663 0.73 
			 Richmond upon Thames 56,648 1.09 
			 Sutton 35,024 0.46 
			 Waltham Forest 81,085 0.90 
			 Greater London 2,687,914 1.03 
		
	
	Notes:
	City of London reported no unauthorised absences in 2002/03.
	Figures relate to maintained primary and secondary schools but exclude maintained special schools and CTCs.
	Figures cover pupils that were absent between September and May for each year

Schools (Accidents)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent in legal costs by (a) schools and (b) local education authorities in relation to (i) school trip accidents and (ii) accidents within schools in 2003.

Ivan Lewis: My Department does not collect this information from local education authorities or schools.

Sector Skills Development Agency/University for Industry

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the (a) Sector Skills Development Agency and (b) the University for Industry is registered to (i) the ISO 9000:2000 standard requirement and (ii) Investors In People standards.

Ivan Lewis: The Sector Skills Development Agency is not registered to the ISO 9000:2000 standard requirement As a relatively new organisation the Sector Skills Development agency is working towards and is totally committed to achieving Investors in People recognition during the operating year 200405.
	The University for Industry is not registered to the ISO 9000:2000 standard requirement but is currently considering its value and expect shortly to make a decision about its adoption. The University for Industry was recognised as an Investor in People on 29 October 2003.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the change in the rate of incidence of emotional and behavioural difficulties as a special educational need among primary school children over the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: In the past no figures have been collected for special educational need by type of difficulty. However, from January this year we have started to collect information about type of need for pupils with statements of SEN and for those at School Action Plus as part of the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC). One of the categories used is 'Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulty' (BESD).
	From this summer, information will be available on the number of children in primary schools with BESD. These figures will act as the baseline against which we will be able to compare future trends.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what procedures are in place to assess progress made in improving the attainment of children with a statement of special educational needs.

Margaret Hodge: Each child with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) is expected to have short-term educational and development targets set for them during the course of the year. In addition to routine monitoring of the child's progress by their teacher, these targets form part of their individual education plan which should be reviewed by the school at least twice a year and fully considered by the Local Education Authority at the annual review of the child's statement before new targets are set.
	Removing Barriers to Achievement: the Government's Strategy for SEN, launched on 11 February, will strengthen the focus on pupil progress and achievement. Key measures include:
	trialling and guidance on how schools can make effective use of routine tests, tasks and other forms of assessment to inform target-setting and reporting on pupil progress;
	helping schools to make effective use of information contained within the Pupil Achievement Tracker and Ofsted Performance and Assessment Reports so that they can compare their performance for different groups of pupils, including those with SEN, with other schools;
	extending the Pupil Level Annual School Census to include pupil details by type of SEN, allowing comparison with others and better identification of pupils who may need targeted support;
	promoting the use of P-Scales by all schools with pupils working at the very lowest level of the National Curriculum, by providing guidance on moderation to support consistent assessment and collecting P Scale results as part of the national data collection exercise from 2005;
	looking further at how the achievements of all children, including those working below the level of the national tests can best be reflected in national performance tables.
	The SEN Strategy includes a number of measures which underpin this work including: equipping teachers and other professionals with the skills and confidence they need to enable children with SEN to reach their potential; encouraging children and young people to be actively involved in decisions about their learning; and promoting and supporting the commitment of inclusive schools.

Special Educational Needs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the future role of moderate learning difficulty special schools will be; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Government's special educational needs strategy Removing Barriers to Achievement makes it clear that we believe that special schools have an important role to play within the overall spectrum of provision for children with special educational needseducating some children directly and sharing their expertise with mainstream schools to support greater inclusion.
	There will always be changes to local provision to reflect local needs and circumstances. This is a matter for local decision. Local education authorities are required to review their provision and future needs for children with special educational needs when drafting their School Organisation Plan.

Special Educational Needs

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils at special schools was successfully reintegrated within the mainstream school system in 2003.

Margaret Hodge: In January 2003, local authorities reported that 1020 pupils had transferred from special schools to mainstream schools. That is 1.1 per cent. of the special school population. In addition, about 2000 pupils are dual registered and spend part of their time in a mainstream school. Others are on the roll of a special school but have regular mainstream experience.
	The Government's SEN Strategy, Removing Barriers to Achievement, encourages greater collaboration between special and mainstream schools in order to promote inclusion. This will include greater movement between special schools and mainstream schools by both pupils and staff. We will also encourage more special schools to participate in federation, cluster and twinning arrangements and, through the Building Schools for the Future programme, hope to bring more schools closer physically, including through co-location.

Student Drop-out Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated cost to public funds was of students dropping out of higher and further education courses in the latest year for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: The Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE) teaching funding method provides funding for students who complete their course of study. Students who do not complete their course are not fundable. Figures for the public costs of student support for higher education students who do not complete their courses are not available.
	Further education funding for institutions is based on learners' attendance on termly census dates. If students finish their studies before the planned end of their course no further funding is provided. Thus if a student attends for one term of a one year course, the college gets 30 per cent. of the funding for the whole course. The Learning and Skills Council estimates that around 319 million is spent on teaching students who attend only part of their course. This does not include any Learner Support Funds received by these learners as this information is not available centrally.

Student Drop-out Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the percentage drop-out rate for students from higher education institutions whose home residence is in the (a) 100 poorest wards in England and Wales and (b) 100 richest wards in England and Wales was in the last academic year.

Alan Johnson: Non-completion rates are not calculated at ward level.
	The figures produced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in the publication 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK' give non-completion rates for UK domiciles as a whole at each UK HE institution. A copy of the publication is held in the House Library.

Student Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport website will carry information on how the Higher Education Bill will change student finance arrangements.

Alan Johnson: The DfES Student Support website will contain information on any changes to the Higher Education funding regime only after the passage of the Bill and when the detail of the future arrangements have been decided. Until then, information on the possible impact of the Higher Education Bill on student finance arrangements is available on the Department's www.dfes.gov.uk/hegateway website which is dedicated to keeping the public informed on developments around Higher Education reform. A link between the two sites ensures that people can access both information on the current funding regime and proposals for the future.

Student Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many graduates have begun to repay income contingent loans in each of the past three financial years.

Alan Johnson: Repayments of income-contingent loans are collected through the tax system, apart from a few exceptions. Repayments are notified to the Student Loans Company (SLC) after the end of the tax year, after which time has to be allowed for reconciliation with SLC records. Therefore complete data on the number of borrowers with income-contingent loans where repayments have begun to have been made are not yet available.
	Borrowers enter repayment status, i.e. are due to make repayments on their loans, in the April after graduating or otherwise leaving their course. No repayments are deducted from income-contingent borrowers whose income falls below 10,000 per year. Borrowers with income contingent loans can also make voluntary repayments, either in the form of pre-payments before they enter repayment status, or ad-hoc repayments to accelerate their repayments after entering repayment status. These repayments are made directly by the borrower to the SLC. The table shows the number of UK income-contingent loan borrowers who have entered repayment status by tax year. It also shows the number who have made voluntary repayments by tax year, and of those the number who have entered repayment status in that year.
	
		
			  200001 200102 200203 
		
		
			 Entered repayment status 36,000 66,000 202,000 
			 Borrowers who made voluntary repayments 5,000 12,000 24,000 
			 of which, borrowers in the first year of entering repayment status 1,000 1,000 8,000 
		
	
	Source:
	Student Loans Company

Students (South Derbyshire)

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many students there were in the most recent academic year for which statistics are available whose home prior to commencing their higher education course was in the South Derbyshire constituency;
	(2)  what proportion of students leaving school or college at 18 whose home was in the South Derbyshire constituency commenced a higher education course in the most recent academic year for which statistics are available.

Alan Johnson: Figures at constituency level are not held centrally.
	The available information covers students accepted for entry to full time undergraduate courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) by local education authority (LEA). The figures show that in autumn 2002, 3,508 students of all ages from South Derbyshire LEA obtained a place in HE. In the same year, 22.5 per cent. of all 18-year-olds from South Derbyshire LEA obtained a place.

Unruly Behaviour

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to address the problem of unruly behaviour by pupils in (a) primary schools and (b) high schools;
	(2)  what plans he has to change guidance to teachers with respect to restraining unruly and violent pupils.

Ivan Lewis: We are investing nearly 470 million over this and the next two years in measures to improve behaviour and attendance in schools. These include training for school staff in managing pupil behaviour and reducing and preventing violence. We have also made it clear that head teachers can permanently exclude pupils responsible for violence, and that we would support such action. In January 2003 new Regulations governing exclusions came into force and the DfES issued new Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units, which introduced several changes. Independent Appeal Panels are not able to reinstate a pupil solely on the basis of technical defects in prior procedure. They are also now required to balance the interests of the excluded pupil against the interests of all the other members of the school community.
	New legislation in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 will enable local education authorities and schools to enter into parenting contracts with parents whose children are excluded from school, helping parents who are willing to engage to improve their children's behaviour. Where children are excluded for serious misbehaviour and parents are unwilling to engage, local education authorities may apply for court-imposed Parenting Orders, compelling the parents to attend parenting classes. We have issued A legal toolkit for schools, which identifies legal remedies available when school staff experience problems with violent parents. Some of these are also available when dealing with violent pupils.
	It is not possible to provide details of separate primary and secondary funding as a major element. The Behaviour Improvement Programme, funds partnerships of schools that include primary and secondary schools, and funding decisions are made locally.
	We have no plans to change current guidance on restraining unruly or violent pupils. Our current guidance is contained in Section 550A, Circular 10/98, which came into force on 1 September 1998.
	We also have guidance in this area for special schools. These are contained in LEA /0264/2003 September 2003 (guidance for LEAs and special schools on drawing up physical intervention policies and risk assessment).